The Hidden Route of the Failed Heroine
by Kamachiland Pirate Brigade
Summary: After years of waiting, Himegami finally got people to look her way! But...Isn't this a little too much?
1. The Maiden Moves

xMikaelx: Well...This is a thing.

So...We made a collaboration story! Yay!

Thanking Darkbetrayer, SoulCage, Silverfang88, hubb2001, and botman for the development of this chapter. Hope you guys like the first of many chapters this weird story will produce!

* * *

The universe, at most, does some things that would not make sense.

Thus, the school of thought known as "Science" was made in order to understand these phenomena caused by the universe, in a way that people can logically understand the process of how that specific phenomenon came to be. Thanks to "Science", people nowadays have an idea why rain exists, how procreation works, and how to build things of varying...Um…"Uses". But there is one thing scientific investigation still cannot comprehend even to this day...Well, a couple actually, but let us focus on one thing first.

The bearers of two X chromosomes, the ones capable of childbirth, the most sexualized...Er...Sex in human history: The Woman.

To be more accurate, a woman's mind.

If anything, the only way to know how to understand the woman mind is for one to be a woman as well. But as a male, it is hard to understand what really is going on inside the female brain. Of course, it is also possible that the one writing this right now is a pure virgin who has not experienced romance his whole life and could be very confused with the concept himself, but that is an entirely different topic that the writer wishes to dismiss altogether.

Now, why did I even talk about the female mind in the first place? Because that boy with the special right hand who appears somewhat dense finally realized that, in the end, he will always be a virgin if he does not take the first step. Also, that he's not as perceptive as he thought he was.

Obviously, somebody had to do that first step for him instead. And when it happened, he finally realized how big of an idiot he is. In the end, he realized how scary women could be, especially if you can't tell what they're thinking about and what they'll do next.

...ESPECIALLY WHAT THEY'LL DO NEXT.

* * *

"Kamijou Touma. Please go on a date with me."

Before she realized it, these words had escaped her mouth. After waiting for a response and being met with only silence, she dared to glance up at Kamijou and his friends. All three of them froze in what looked like shock. After waiting a few moments longer without a response, she worked up the courage to ask again.

"Kamijou Touma. Please go on a date with me!"

The effect of her words had been near instantaneous this time. The entire class froze in place upon hearing those sudden words as if they were spoken through a megaphone hooked up to a dozen of loudspeakers. The noise caused by the confession could have been heard three classes down. Himegami Aisa's entire classroom was now filled with obnoxious shouting that drowned out Kamijou's response. Another couple of moments passed until the cries of disbelief died down a little, then two voices made themselves clear above the others.

"Kami-yan, for crimes against the Delta Force, I hereby sentence you to death," one of the voices yelled out. It belonged to a certain blue-haired Aogami Pierce, who was holding Kamijou in a headlock.

"How dare you, Kami-yan?!" A second male voice made himself known, this time from Tsuchimikado Motoharu, who somehow also managed to hold Kamijou in a headlock on the floor. "Getting the class ghost to ask you out after class? Are you going to go after Fukiyose next? You bastard!"

"Having a girl ask you out at the end of class is not cool," a random voice from the mass of male classmate onlookers added. "You're lucky Fukiyose hasn't left the school grounds yet. If I hadn't spotted her running back here from the window, I would join in too!"

At this statement, the crowd surrounding the Delta Force and Himegami all started to quickly disperse, lest the wrath of The Iron Wall Girl fall upon them for being part of their shenanigans. _I have to get Kamijou out of there before he can give me an answer,_ realized Himegami. As she had unsuccessfully attempted to convince the Delta Force to release Touma from his prison, she began to tear up thinking she might never get an answer to her confession. Before her tears began to flow fully, she heard a loud voice roar from the door behind her. "What have you idiots done to Himegami?" Fukiyose Seiri, The Iron Wall Girl, stormed into the classroom.

Seeing Himegami standing near the Delta Force on the verge of tears, Fukiyose proceeded to ruthlessly beat up the three males, ignoring their pleas for mercy and attempts to pin the blame on Kamijou. After thoroughly punishing the Delta Force, or idiots as she called them, she turned to Himegami. "I don't know what they did, but if they ever do anything to make you cry again tell me. I'll make sure they regret it."

"It's my fault," admitted Himegami.

"Yeah, it was her fault," yelled Aogami, which lead to him getting pummeled again. After he learned his lesson, Fukiyose turned back to Himegami.

"Sorry he interrupted you, what was that about it being your fault?" asked Fukiyose.

"Well... I kind of asked Kamijou to go on a date with me in front of everyone, and I failed to expect that it would raise a death flag…" Himegami explained, realizing that Fukiyose had no idea she had asked Kamijou on a date.

"I see." A few moments passed before what Himegami had said fully sunk in. "You asked Kamijou on a date?" She exclaimed while looking down at Kamijou lying on the floor. "Good on you. Maybe you can straighten out his delinquent tendencies. If you help him study and get to class on time, I'm sure his grades will improve drastically. Ah, also, knowing him I doubt he will, but if he tries anything funny during the date, don't hesitate to call me. I'll make sure he regrets it." At that last remark, Kamijou flinched on the ground at Fukiyose's feet.

"He hasn't given a response to it yet," Himegami commented, slightly dejected after Fukiyose seemed to think the date was already accepted.

"Is that so," replied Fukiyose. Her sharp gaze grew colder as she looked down at Kamijou.

Although Kamijou might have seemed passive under the gaze of the Iron Wall Girl, his mind was trying to catch up to the fact that he had been asked on a date. Despite the other members of the Delta Force always teasing him about having a harem, he never really thought any of the girls he knew liked him THAT way. The beating he received from Fukiyose had given him plenty of time to think about his response, but he was still unsure of whether to accept or deny the invitation. Fukiyose seemed to think it was a good idea when she wasn't warning Himegami that he might attempt something. He wasn't sure what she was implying. Aogami and Tsuchimikado had already loudly stated their opinion on it. _I can't think of a reason to not accept it. If it's not a joke and she's serious about it, declining her might hurt her feelings._

"C'mon Kami-yan, it's rude to leave her hanging forever," Tsuchimikado commented.

"Yeah Kami-yan. If a cute girl confessed to me like that, I would have said yes in a heartbeat. You're just cruel, making her wait all this time. That's seriously uncool." The second member of the Delta Force pitched in. Both of them seemed to have finally recovered from their beatings and were now standing on either side of Kamijou, as he still lay on the floor, thinking.

Seeing that the spiky-haired lover boy still looked stunned at the earlier event, Tsuchimikado and Aogami pulled him up from his dazed recline, and both gentlemen threw a punch at his face.

"Wake up already, dammit," said the nya-nya bastard that punched his left cheek. "Don't you realize how important it is for a girl to muster her courage and confess to a boy she likes?!"

"Yeah, Kami-yan," said the Otaku pervert that punched his right cheek. "Don't you realize the possible implications of the flag that was forcefully raised for you?! You just hit the jackpot, you motherfucker!"

"...Guys…Tha..." Finally realizing how big of an event Himegami's confession was, accompanied by the pain he was feeling at the moment, he could only utter a few words. Once he formulated the sentence in his mind, he exclaimed:

"THAT FUCKING HURT! Was it really necessary to do a tag team punch?!"

"Nyah, looks like he finally recovered. Nice punch, Aogami."

"Well done to you as well, Tsuchimikado. So, what's the plan, lover boy?"

"Eh? Oh...Yeah...I really don't know where to start." Kamijou scratched his cheek, only to wince once he touched the swollen part. "This is my first time, after all, so you guys might have an idea."

Before Kamijou could say more, Tsuchimikado and Aogami slung their arms over the teen's shoulders and began to strut their way to the room's sliding door.

"Sorry, Himegami-chan, but we would like to borrow your 'boyfriend' for lunch. I hope you don't mind, Nyah."

"We'll make sure to bring him back safe and sound."

Before the quiet girl could respond to the blonde's request and for Fukiyose react, the members of the Delta Trio went out of the classroom and made their way to the rooftop. Considering it was still lunch break, the area was thankfully empty. The three then began the planning committee on what to do for Kamijou Touma's first date. The blonde wearing a Hawaiian shirt under his uniform raised his hand first.

"How about we start with something basic, but at the same time special? Just like how first impressions are important, you have to make it so that it will be a night to remember."

Kamijou nodded. "What do you have in mind?"

"I heard there's this new restaurant that opened in Dianoid Mall that serves an all-you-can-eat buffet for 10,000 Yen."

"Oy, didn't you say 'basic and at the same time special?!' That's way out of my budget and something Index would wholeheartedly enjoy!"

"Is that so? Any ideas you can pull out from your experiences in games, Aogami?" The two looked at the direction of their blue-haired companion.

Aogami hummed his answer until a coherent sentence came out of him. "What you really need is a highlight."

"For example?"

"For the most part, the MC in games, probably other mediums too, would ask the girl to watch a movie, walk around an amusement park or the city, talk about each other's life while sitting on one of the benches in a public park…" Tsuchimikado and Kamijou both nodded at the same time with every suggestion Aogami made. The more they listened, the more they found the man standing before them look like a god.

"I see, I see...That does sound normal. But what about the memorable part?" Kamijou asked. At this remark, Aogami opened his eyes.

"Then you two can get busy afterward."

"Get busy? With what?" Kamijou tilted his head. At this, Aogami stared at him with disbelief.

"Bro, I think you should know what doing the do means."

"Doing the do? What do I do exactly?"

"...Hitting the home run...?"

"...Bring her to a baseball game?"

Aogami and Tsuchimikado slapped their foreheads simultaneously.

"You fuck each other until dawn, dammit!"

"I should have never trusted you to give decent suggestions in the first place."

"But that's what happened in all the games I've played. Hell, they all end in either choosing a single girl or a harem end!"

"Even then, it's not like I'm going to seal the deal on the very first date!"

""You're not?"" Aogami and Tsuchimikado looked at Kamijou in unison, suspicious at his remark.

"W-well, I mean... It's the first date, y'know? I want to have it proceed as normally as possible, y'know? It's not like she's going to say yes when I ask her. It's not like I can buy 'those' in the convenience store and be prepared, y'know? They'll know I'm a minor." The two could see Kamijou's face turn into a ripe tomato as he spoke about his views. At this, they realized that the lover boy needed them more than ever.

"We got you covered."

"W-what?"

Kamijou saw the glint in their eyes, leading him to think of only one conclusion as to the change in their expressions.

"No, thank you. I'd rather have this first date be clean, and there is no way I'm going to tarnish such a sacred occasion by ending it with a bang."

At this, the two perverts paused from pulling out whatever was inside their pockets and sighed in disappointment. As much as the thought of finally breaking the v-card excited Kamijou, deep down, is a very inexperienced teenager when it comes to the ways of romance. As he had said earlier, there is no way Himegami would take him on that offer, and he would rather retain that pure sense of friendship with the girl. Until they get married, that is.

"A-anyway, let's get back on topic and decide what to do for my first date." He cleared his throat and continued. "From the list of activities that Aogami suggested, watching a movie would be an ideal dating activity."

"Yes, yes."

"Unfortunately, I've been busy lately, so I have no clue what to watch with Himegami. Any suggestions?" Kamijou asked as he scratched the back of his neck.

Aogami and Tsuchimikado were silent for a few seconds, possibly thinking of movie titles they thought was the best for a first date. Tsuchimikado raised his hand first again.

"I know! How about a sci-fi movie? I saw this movie last week that is on its 8th installment about people fighting with laser swords and is the biggest space epic in movie history. Sure, it made references from the past seven movies, but-"

"Are you talking about The L*st J***? That movie sucked, man!" After hearing the blonde's explanation, Aogami laughed.

"In what way did that movie suck? It's actually pretty good once you understand the lore and everything." Tsuchimikado argued, but from seeing Aogami's smug demeanor, he seemed more prepared than the blonde had thought.

"Sure, the movie looked great and everything, but the things they did in that movie dragged out the inevitable to the point it does not makes sense. That stupid casino planet, that one character nobody cared about and felt like extra baggage, and most importantly, the most out of nowhere death of the one guy everyone was waiting to know about the most. Sure he had it coming, but he was one of the most interesting and mysterious characters in the film, and they would throw him away like that?"

Aogami started waving around his hands around as if he was teaching a new religious philosophy.

"There's also the main protagonist's training that was very short, yet she looked like she mastered the art of the laser sword an hour later into the movie. You can't ace the art of the laser sword and the way of the J*** in just a few days with just stupidly swinging the laser sword!

Even though Kamijou and Tsuchimikado wanted to intervene, their other friend continued to talk incessantly.

"Speaking of time, the one thing that really bothered me was that stupid chase scene between the Empire and the Rebel space fleet. Realistically speaking, the Rebels should have been toast there, yet it took almost 2 hours into the movie until the chase finally ended. There's also the convoluted timeline between events, especially the events that happened to the main protagonist with her grumpy 'mentor' and her best friend with the waste of time character, which made the movie's events look like everything happened all at the same time. This makes the sequence of events even more convoluted!"

The blue-haired critic then started to look annoyed as he glared at his two audience members.

"Last but not least, making the protagonist of the very first trilogy act out of character! He is NOT that kind of person! He will always try to see the light in people, not outright try to kill them because he fears what they could become! That would break the purpose of what he did in the 3rd movie!"

"...Uh..." Kamijou Touma raised his hand. "Does that mean you have a better movie in mind?"

"Yeah, Aogami! Aside from pointing out faults that a non-fan wouldn't mind skipping over just to have fun watching, what movie do you have in mind that the Fetish King THINKS is BETTER than a soon to be nine movie saga that everyone loves?" Tsuchimikado sounded weird, but Kamijou ignored it.

At this, the so-called Fetish King claimed his recommendation to be:

"J*st*ce L**g**."

Everything went downhill once the blonde esper-magician hybrid threw a punch into the Fetish King's face.

* * *

In the School Garden at District 7…

A sudden ring disturbed Misaka Mikoto's lively chat with her friends, Saten, Uiharu, and Kuroko. Pulling out her Gekota-styled phone, she peeked at the caller ID and saw her crush's number on it.

"Sorry, but I have to take this. If you'll excuse me."

"Who is it, onee-sama?" Kuroko asked, but Mikoto didn't answer.

After walking a few meters away from the table, leaving behind a skeptical Kuroko, a curious Uiharu, and a cat-eyed Saten, Mikoto pulled up the screen and listened to the attached earpiece.

"What is it? It's not like you to call. Not that I mind or anything."

 _"Yo, Misaka! I need some advice. It's very important."_

"Advice on what exactly?"

 _"I'm planning to see a movie with someone this coming weekend, but I'm not really sure what's on right now that is any good. Do you have any ideas?"_

Usually, when the idiot called for help, he would ask about complex and stupid stuff, like opening an electronic lock or something illegal. But movies? Mikoto felt curious to ask why Kamijou would need advice on what movie to watch. Then she finally processed what he said.

 _...A movie... with...someone…?_

Many thoughts crossed Mikoto's mind, but she had to ask the question herself so that she could understand what exactly was going on.

"You're planning to see a movie with someone? Wouldn't you usually ask your companion what to watch instead of asking me?"

 _"Really? I-I mean...I want to keep the movie thing a secret so that I could surprise her or something...I don't know! I'm not really the expert here!"_

 _...Her…? A... girl? Does that mean…?_

Mikoto's mind went blank, but she could still hear the idiot's voice pouring out of the earpiece.

 _"A-anyway, I can't really say the specifics, but the only thing you need to know is that I need your help in choosing a movie. You're the only one I can trust with this. There are some people who are...well…"_

Suddenly, two distinct loud voices mixed in with the idiot's made her snap out of her unfounded shock.

 _"J*st*ce L**g** is shit! W*rn*r Br*s should have let Snyd*r finish his vision! Release the Snyd*rcut!"_

 _"No, The L*st J*** is shit! They shouldn't have killed off-"_

 _"Misaka? You still there? Hello?"_

"S-sorry… It's a little loud there. And whatever your friends are talking about, it sounds like useless banter."

A movie date. The idiot was planning a movie date. But with who? It was supposed to be a surprise for the girl in question, yet Kamijou was asking for HER advice. Since he had no idea what movie the girl in question would like, he asked HER for help because SHE would know best what movie to watch with THAT GIRL. Since SHE would know what movie would be best watched on a movie date, and that it was supposed to be some kind of surprise, but the idiot in question did not know THE GIRL'S tastes in entertainment. Obviously, he should have to ask THE GIRL IN QUESTION what SHE would like to see this coming weekend...Meaning the idiot was planning a movie date with the girl in question. AKA... the girl the idiot was calling right now.

A light bulb exploded on top of her head, but she didn't mind and quickly returned to the conversation, her face as red as the blood slowly creeping down her face.

"A chick flick! Girls definitely love cheesy, romantic movies that will definitely make their heart race! I know a movie theater nearby that reruns old movies ranging from late 2000's up to last year!"

 _"Eh? Really? I was actually thinking the same thing, but I wasn't really sure, so I had to ask. Didn't know about a movie theater rerunning old movies. Thanks for that small tidbit."_

"Also, make sure to arrive on or before the meeting time! Not only will it be rude for your companion if you didn't come on time, but you will make them feel that you didn't care about them at all!"

 _"Huh? Sure…"_

"Don't forget to dress up nicely too! Casual may be the norm, but at least put some effort and dress formally!"

 _"O-okay….?"_

"Last but not least, be courteous with your da- I mean friend! Yeah! Be nice to her and listen to everything she says!"

 _"...Thanks?"_

"SEE YOU THIS WEEKEND!"

"Huh? Wai-"

Suddenly dropping the call from excitement, Mikoto tried to contain her emotions. Instead, sparks of electricity started spewing out of her body in random directions. Even though they didn't hit passer-bys, the lightning always found its way to Kuroko.

* * *

Meanwhile, a few minutes after the trio left...

Aisa Himegami, female, 2nd Year Student of a certain high school in District 7, had long black hair with a princess cut for her bangs.

Normal in almost every conceivable way.

"So, what made you decide to finally ask Kamijou on a date?"

Fukiyose sat across from Himegami's seat, sharing a table while eating their lunch. Unlike most days, when it was only her and her friend, it felt like everyone in their class had their eyes on her. For someone who has been nearly incognito ever since transferring to this school, this is the first time her classmates could actually see her. It was a little frustrating to know that all it took was a confession addressed to the unluckiest (yet lucky) boy in their class to make her visible.

"I...just thought that it would be best to know how he actually thinks about me."

Dissatisfied with her friend's answer, Fukiyose sneered and pressed the attack. "Reaaaaaally now? What brought that on? Did something happen that made you feel that way?"

"No… Nothing really happened. Did I do something wrong by asking him today?"

"Nope. Not at all."

"Deny it all you want, I am so going to the bottom of this...Someday."

Even though she was being honest, there really was nothing. No prior event spurred her to ask Kamijou Touma on a date for the first time in her life. Nothing at all. If anything, she wants to make progress. For both him and herself. There's nothing wrong with that, right?

Now, it's her turn to be on the offensive!

"...Since we're talking about love, what about you? Any plans to confess? You never really told me anything about your crush."

Fukiyose tilted her head from the statement. "Crush? Did I ever tell you anything about me having a crush?"

Did she? Himegami scrambled through the recesses of her memories if her friend did mention a boy in her life that she has an eye on, but zero results popped out of her Himegami Search Engine. And here she thought she would have the upper hand in their conversation this time...

Even then, she persevered.

Even if nothing was mentioned, she'd make her friend say anything...Anything that will link to a boy Fukiyose Seiri has a crush on!

Himegami placed an index finger under her lips as she gestured to look away. "I'm sure you said something about your crush… Back then, you mentioned how that 'idiot' would always get carried away, and you would beat him up to correct him."

Fukiyose blinked once. And then twice.

"Aisa… What do you mean?"

 _Did I get it wrong? That blank reaction doesn't tell me anything._ Himegami prodded the girl even further.

"Oh, you know, Seiri! The only male classmates I've seen you interact with are those guys!"

"...Which ones exactly?" Fukiyose tilted her head, adding more to the confusing reaction.

Himegami froze.

 _...I'm not even sure if I'm on the right track anymore. What am I even saying? Should I even continue with this line of questioning?_ Himegami doubted her decision to "interrogate" her friend and finally sighed in exasperation.

"...Nevermind…"

"Heehee! What is it, Aisa? What exactly were you trying to find out?" Fukiyose's smug grin made her feel more annoyed, considering she got nothing out of her questioning. However, the transition from having a poker face to suddenly wearing a bright smile to push away her earlier inquiry did felt odd.

"It's nothing. Nevermind." Himegami bit the piece of her lunch caught in her chopsticks.

In the end, Fukiyose was tight-lipped about her state of affairs. The few things Himegami knew of the girl was that the girl resembles a disciplinary officer when she was not and a complete nutritionist nut. Holding her forehead up high, the Iron Wall is as sturdy as a rock when it comes to actively following school rules and regulations. Strong-willed and full of confidence - and assets -, Himegami is proud to call Fukiyose Seiri her best friend.

"So, have you talked about the date with Kamijou and when it will happen?" In the end, the topic of romance went back to Himegami's.

"Ah."

The room went silent. A sudden chill made itself known as Himegami realized something very important. In the midst of the class' excitement, she didn't get to hear from the boy in question if he said yes to the proposal or not.

"Hm? Is something wrong, Aisa?"

"Uhh...How should I say this?" Himegami scratched her cheek as if embarrassed. She then motioned herself to lightly knock her hand on her head and pulled her tongue out. "Teehee⭐~"

At this, the Iron Wall Girl quickly stood and ran towards the door. Himegami could only imagine what her friend will do next, covering her face in shame.

* * *

A few days passed and the fated time arrived.

The Weekend.

The time of the week where most people, if not all, take a break.

Generally speaking.

Usually, people who had worked on the weekdays would stay inside the place they call home and drop dead on their beds, taking advantage of the only time in the week that they don't have to kiss their asses to their boss and mask everything with hard work. The time of day where they can be themselves, students included. A time where people can indulge in their hobbies like late night Video Game sessions and hitting up the malls to meet with close friends. A time where people can relieve their stress and cool off by forgetting they have work or classes the next day, only to dread they have homework and projects they should have worked on earlier.

The same time of the week where a very distraught teenage boy in his 2nd year of High School was having second thoughts about his plans with his date today.

What a pathetic virgin.

Maybe coward would be a better term.

"Don't worry about it, it's just a date. There's nothing to be frightened about. It's going to be a peaceful day like always… That is until I get called up to stop another global conflict caused by supernatural bullshit and have to travel to punch that fucker with my right fist and call it a day. No! I should think about the date alone...Nothing else... Other people can handle those kinds of trouble themselves...They should be able to handle those types of threats… Magicians from Necessarius and other Cabals should be able to handle cataclysmic threats without my help... right?"

Waiting near the entrance of the monorail station where he and his date agreed to meet, Kamijou Touma began to sweat bullets thinking about the many possibilities that could happen today. Obviously, he wanted everything to go as planned; no misfortunate events like an invading Magician trying to steal Index away or mad scientists spreading chaos by releasing hordes of abomination all over the city. It's his very first date after all, and a No-Girlfriend-Since-Birth guy like him would not want anything bad to happen that will ruin this flag. Himegami chose to make the first step, and it's his responsibility for things to stay on course.

"Okay…Breathe in...Breathe out…" Kamijou calmed down his nerves and went over his plans for today in his head, unaware of mumbling it out. "After meeting up with Himegami, we would go straight to the movie theater Misaka recommended to me the other day. Should we take a bus or walk? If I want to spend more time with Himegami, maybe walking is best but that would mean exhausting ourselves. We could relax a little by using the bus, but that would not encourage a lively conversation since we might disturb the other passengers. I'll just have to have to ask her… or maybe not. Should I ask her what to do on our way to the movie theater? No. Yes? Mhhhhmmm…"

The idiot paced around as he organized his plan.

"In any case, once we're inside the theater, I will pick the film. Misaka said a chick flick, but what if there was nothing on there that was a chick flick? Knowing my luck, there's a possibility that there may not be a chick flick on today. That means I need a plan B. What other genres of movies can we watch then? What would a girl like Himegami be a fan of? Action and Sci-Fi are definitely out…"

His pace quickened.

"No wait, as long as it is an enjoyable movie, it should be fine whatever I choose, right? Either it be horror, action, supernatural, sci-fi, comedy, and drama, as long as it's something we can enjoy, I can pick anything….Okay, let's go with that plan if a chick flick isn't available. Now, what happens next after seeing the movie?"

Kamijou paused from pacing and searched for his date. He saw no one that resembled a girl with a princess haircut. He did notice a girl trying to cross the street that wore a sundress and a wide brim straw hat protecting her from the bright morning sun, carrying a small bag. He couldn't see the face underneath, but he assumed it wasn't his date because this girl's hair was tied into a ponytail. Was he too early? Misaka did tell him to arrive earlier than the agreed-upon meeting time. He checked the large digital screen on top of the station's entrance and saw that it was 9 in the morning. He then continued organizing his thoughts as he leaned against the wall.

"If the movie lasts for less than 2 hours, we can grab lunch. The problem will be a matter of where… Shoot, nobody recommended me a place to eat at during a date. Definitely not that buffet restaurant Tsuchimikado recommended. Fast food then? It would be cheap, but will Himegami be okay with that? ...Now that I think about it-"

"Kamijou-kun."

"Bwaaaah?!"

Kamijou Touma was startled to hear a voice so close to his ear. Discovering the owner of said voice, it was the same sundress girl from across the street, her face still covered under the large straw hat.

"S-sorry! Did I scare you, Kamijou-kun?"

"Ah? Uh...It's fine! ...Who are you? How did you know my name?"

The girl pouted and, realizing that she couldn't be recognized, removed the damned headwear as she revealed herself as his date, Himegami Aisa. Kamijou Touma was stunned. The girl in question didn't look any different from normal, yet for some reason, there was this aura she exudes that made her look regal...Elegant even. It may be because of the outfit she wore, but it made Kamijou feel refreshed just by looking at her.

"...Is something wrong?"

"I-it's nothing! Nothing at all! It's just that you look great!"

"T-thank you…" Himegami looked away. Kamijou just barely caught a tint of red on the girl's cheek. In a way, the virgin boy felt a beam of excitement course through his body.

"So...Shall we go, Himegami?"

"Before that, may I ask something important, Kamijou-kun?"

"Yes?" Did I do something wrong? Kamijou felt sweat slide down his back.

"Don't you feel hot wearing... that?"

Himegami pointed at his rental black suit, complete with a corsage pinned to his coat's chest. His long black slacks exceeded his ankles so to compensate for that, he wore a pair of shiny, elevated shoes. Now that he thought about it, it did feel weird to wear formal attire when the only thing they'll do was watch a movie…

"... Nope, not at all!" Kamijou declared, balls of sweat riding down his face as if to make his earlier claim moot. Himegami giggled from his failed attempt to convince her. Kamijou then cleared his throat, followed by kneeling down and extending his arm with an open right palm. "So...Would you like to start this wonderful day and be on our merry way, my liege?"

Himegami smiled and returned the gesture in kind, reaching out her frail yet delicately smooth hands and entrusting the day to her partner. She was blushing intensely, the girl's pale white skin matching the color of a ripe tomato. Kamijou felt a little insecure with the thought of touching her hands.

"Yes, let us begin today's activities, my honorable knight."

To the two teenagers, it felt like they were fulfilling a fantasy. Sadly, people who don't know any better could only see their theatrics as a corny and cheesy.

The pathetic virgin could only say one thing to himself: The day couldn't possibly get any worse from this small mistake of his.

* * *

 **"So I have to choose between three movies…"**

After taking a bus ride, Kamijou Touma brought his date, Himegami Aisa, inside the movie theater located in District -. It was a two-story building that looked like any other office building in the city. The building itself appeared to be a bit wider than the rest he'd seen before, considering it held four auditoriums, each projected a film available for a limited time. The incandescent lights gave the hall a classic feel to the atmosphere as if to reflect what Misaka said about this particular theater showing movies that ranged from the 2000s up to the present.

Much to his surprise and delight, Misaka Mikoto's movie recommendation was part of the lineup. Three of the movies screamed chick flick as some of its movie posters had a pair of lovers in each. There was a fourth movie. However, that was definitely out of place.

A horror movie.

Seeing that kid in the yellow raincoat holding a red balloon surrounded by a black atmosphere in the poster gave the vibe of scary things ahead. Completely ignoring the horror movie since that wasn't the genre a certain biribiri recommended, he focused on the three films left on the list.

"Choosing between these three shouldn't be hard, right?"

Hugging his arms together, the overdressed teen contemplated on how he would decide from the available choices. He knew that three out of the four movies being shown were chick flicks. As for the content? He had no idea what these movies could be about. Sure, romance is a given, but what about the story?

He read the synopsis of each movie, starting with the one poster that has a weird zombie in Buddhist clothing, hugging a teen definitely younger looking than the other. It's a story of the corpse of a high priest coming back to rekindle the love between him and an old flame. But that flame had passed decades ago, so it instead goes for their lover's kin; which just so happens to be a high school teen boy. Classified as psychological horror.

'For a supposed romance story, this feels creepy. It's...somehow familiar. Next is...'

He then read the next movie's synopsis, its poster showing a couple in a black background, the man obviously paler than the woman. Long story short, it's a vampire romance movie.

'Definitely not gonna show this to Himegami. Don't want to bring up bad memories.'

The third film's synopsis looked interesting at least and was more grounded in reality. The poster showed a couple hugging in the rain, the unshaven man carrying the woman that was about to kiss him. The story took place in the past around World War 2 wherein the girl's parent disapproved of her relationship with the man. The man then served in the war,and a few years later, he returned to reignite the love between him and the girl, who was on her way to getting married to another man.

'That is a very complicated romance story, but it does look intriguing enough to warrant a viewing.'

"Kamijou-kun, did you decide on a movie already?"

Himegami was beside him the whole time while he was evaluating each featured film. Even though the sundress girl didn't sound impatient or irritated, he thought it would be best to just choose the one that interests him the most.

"Yeah. I'm gonna go buy the tickets now. Is it okay if you buy the popcorn?"

"Sure. Let's meet up near the auditorium entrances.

Making their way to their respective tasks, Kamijou was relieved to see a short line for the movie. In the end, the one movie that interested him the most was the third one. While the customers near the counter were telling the clerk their choice for today's entertainment, as he was near the back of the line, he saw a familiar orange jacket mixed in with the line to the counter next to his. Unlike him, the blonde teen had his girlfriend join the waiting line. Seeing the couple just shows that he has yet to learn more about romance in reality than what he perceived it to be like.

Finally having his turn at the counter, he asked the clerk for two tickets to the movie of his choice. After making his payment, Kamijou Touma was very excited to meet up with Himegami that he didn't notice someone was coming his way.

"Hey, Boss! What's- Oof!"

The moment he took a single step away from the cashier, he bumped into the blonde guy he knew as Hamazura Shiage, unconsciously letting go of the tickets he just bought from the soft hit.

"A-are you okay, Boss? Oh shit, where did it go?"

Frantically looking around on the floor, his gaze finally met the fallen tickets and frantically picked it up, quickly pocketing the treasured pieces before anything else happens. Both teens got up the same time as they finally addressed one another.

"Sorry about that. I didn't see you coming." Kamijou quickly lowered his head apologetically and noticed the girl beside the blonde teen. "Going to watch a movie with your girlfriend?"

"Yeah, Boss. I kind of promised Takitsubo to take this day off with just the two of us." Hamazura scratched his cheek, said girlfriend hugging his free arm. "What's with the get-up? Attending some kind of party?"

"Well, the thing is…"

"Hamazura, we should go. The movie is about to start soon." Restless, Takitsubo Rikou interrupted the chat between the two boys.

"S-Sorry." Hamazura apologized to his girlfriend. "We have to go. Sorry for bothering you, Boss. You must be busy dressing up like that."

"It's fine. Take care and good luck with your date."

As soon as the two lovebirds left, Kamijou Touma quickly jogged to the meeting area, seeing Himegami already carrying a bucket of popcorn and their drinks.

"Did I kept you long?"

Himegami shook her head. "Looks like some movies are about to start."

"Great! We should get going. I got the tickets riiight...Here!" Just when he pulled out the tickets from his chest pocket, Kamijou felt a chilling wind from his nape down to his spine. Whatever happened made him hug himself for warmth.

"Is something wrong?" Himegami questioned when she saw him shivering in place.

"I-Is it just me, or d-did it get cold all of a s-s-sudden?"

"I don't feel any change in temperature, though."

"Is that so? Wait...What? It's...gone?"

With whatever that transpired had gone to past, Kamijou quickly looked around. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, like a stalking gaze of some kind, he quickly assisted the confused sundress girl to the auditorium indicated on his tickets.

If only he checked the contents of the tickets first…

* * *

Okay, so maybe seeing a kid's arm get bitten off by a monster clown living in the sewers freaked him out a lot, but Kamijou Touma found the rest of the movie actually bearable to watch. Hell, he's actually excited to see the sequel hinted at the end too. Sure, he made a mess on the movie he actually wanted to watch when he discovered that he mixed up the tickets, but the most important thing was that he and Himegami Aisa liked it, right?

Well, it turns out that she actually did enjoy the movie. If only that weren't the 5th time she saw it in theaters though, maybe it would have garnered more shocked. Not just that, but he would have received the most expected reaction a girl watching a horror movie would do while with someone: the warm comfort of a hug to ease her stress.

Nope. That did not happen in this case for Kamijou Touma. Such missed opportunity...

"Wait, so you're telling me that in the book the movie was based on, the kids near the end…. Had sex? In the sewers, no less? Isn't that a weird time to do so and… very unnecessary?"

Biding their lunch time as they ate their hamburgers at the nearest Wcdo, the not-so-awkward couple talked about certain trivia about the movie, most of the information coming from Himegami. Making sure not to choke, the ponytailed beauty relayed things from the movie that casual moviegoers would not know at all. That lead to the current topic of interest, of which Kamijou Touma was a little bothered, if not a lot.

"Obviously, there's no way they would adapt such a vulgar scene in the movie." Himegami took a sip from her cola as she continued to talk about the movie. "After I discovered that that scene was in the book, I realized how it changes the whole meaning of the movie's ending."

As much as talking about pre-teens having an orgy in the original texts gave him a weird impression about the novelist, seeing Himegami's enthusiastic demeanor did bring a smile to his face. Now that he thought about it when was the last time he saw the girl smile like this? He called out to her.

"Himegami."

"Hm?" The girl was about to take a bite when she looked at him. For some reason, seeing a girl eating would always remind him of Index, minus the voracious part.

"The truth was… I messed up the tickets," Kamijou scratched his cheek as he explained. "I was actually going for another movie, but I kind of bumped into someone. It's possible that I swapped those tickets with theirs. I hope they're happy with the movie they got."

"I didn't mind."

"Huh?"

"Sure, I've seen that movie multiple times already, but it never gets old." She took a big bite out of her double cheeseburger and waited until she was done with the piece to speak again, wiping her mouth afterward. "For a horror movie, I found it hilarious for the most part. The CG is noticeable, sometimes breaking suspension of disbelief, and the children's reactions over the scares are hammy at most. But today, something was different."

"Different? Even though you've seen it already?" Kamijou pondered on what she said but still didn't get the real message. Seeing his defeated expression, Himegami continued.

"The first time I saw the movie, I was all alone. Watching a horror film alone in the theater makes you think it's a bad idea for a girl like me, right? The truth is that I like that genre in particular. I was never a fan of romance. Seeing those movies just made me feel more lonely, considering I never dreamed of such an outcome. But now, I'm reliving one of those scenes you'd see in chick flicks in which you go on a movie date with the person you really like."

The stunned boy kept quiet, trying to absorb everything the girl in front of him was saying.

"I ...really like you, Kamijou-kun."

It was important she got her feelings across.

"Himegami… I…" Speechless, Kamijou Touma couldn't look Himegami in the eye as she confessed her feelings to him. Something was caught in his throat, preventing him from speaking his mind. Was it guilt? Fear? From what? He didn't know. As much as he liked to answer the girl in front of him, he doesn't know how to respond. Himegami saw his complicated expression, prompting her to answer for his sake.

"You don't have to answer me right now." Even though she's denying him time to answer, it was the only way to continue the conversation. "The day is still long, we don't want to get stuck on one topic. Besides, I'm not in a hurry." She rose from her seat and stood beside Kamijou, extending a hand as if inviting him, smiling. "This is just the first date, after all. This isn't just about me. I want for the both of us to get to know more about each other. If anything, this is just the first step to a deeper understanding. Give it time, and when the time comes that you have your answer, I will accept it. Are you with me, Kamijou-kun?"

Kamijou Touma paused as he stared at the beauty's open palm. True, there were a lot of things to process, especially Himegami's feelings for him. But she was right, this date wasn't just for her. It was also for him to find the answers to the girl's feelings for him. He felt really stupid at how hung up he was from trying to give a good impression of himself to Himegami in this date. He could only smile at the girl patiently waiting for an answer to her feelings, but he knew that he couldn't answer it. Not now anyway.

He accepted the invitation by taking the hand of the person offering herself to him.

* * *

*RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*

"Fwah...I'm coming, I'm coming!"

It was the weekends at night, so the midget teacher Komoe found herself baffled by the sudden ringing at her door. It looked like the mailmen, and other product promoters started learning to call her attention through the doorbell instead of hitting her reinforced door, though the time they usually arrived at didn't match at all. In fact, they would often come early in the day. And in hordes no less. She could have asked her wards to open the door for her, but they went out. Musujime Awaki was already gone when she woke up early in the morning, and Himegami Aisa looked rather excited when she bid her goodbye in the sundress that she bought for her yesterday. The black-haired student of hers did say she might come home later than usual, but isn't it a little too dark for youngsters be out this late at night?

Still reeking of booze to get herself sleepy, Komoe trotted to the narrow hallway of her apartment, still in her whole body bunny pajamas and immediately opened the door.

 _"Does that mean you're together now?"_

 _"I… really can't say. He's still sorting out his feelings himself. And I honestly can't see myself winning. There's just too many girls around him at this point that I feel like it's too late. In fact, I felt-"_

As she was about to open the door, she heard chatter that sounded like it belonged to her two wards. It looked like they went home together, but based on their conversation, it seemed like something bad happened. For the kind person that she is, Komoe opened the door and saw the figures of Musujime and Himegami, the former's face a little annoyed at the latter's answer. Hearing the creaking nudges of her door, the two teenagers stopped the conversation and greeted the supposedly older adult of the apartment unit.

"Good evening. Sorry for coming home so late, Komoe." the girl with red hair did sound apologetic, but the earlier conversation might have dampened her mood. The long-haired teen bowed her head and apologized the same.

"It's okay, but next time, please message me what time you'll be coming home, Musujime-chan." The pink-haired teacher then looked at the worried girl. "Did something bad happen, Himegami-chan?"

She did hear from her homeroom class that the girl asked another student of hers, the naughty Kamijou Touma-chan, on a date. Based on Himegami's current expression, it looked like something happened.

 _ **"W-well...The thing is...I feel like I'm being stalked."**_

* * *

A/N:

xMikaelx: This… Took me almost more than 3 months to finish. Writing romance was never my forte, but that doesn't mean I'm going to avoid it forever. At some point when writing a story, romantic elements WILL appear, whether you like it or not, focus of the story or not. In this case, this chapter focuses on First Date Stuff a couple will go through. Someone will ask for advice, someone will be worried, but at the end of the day, it all goes down to having fun. That's how I see it anyway. Lesson? Go on your own pace when dating someone. No need to rush. Get to know one another. Dating doesn't mean you'll be together forever. It's the learning phase of a romantic relationship. If both of you think you're meant for each other, then congratulations! Not that a single guy like me has any right to give any dating advice. Hope you guys enjoy my actual first attempt at writing romance! (UwU )

Darkbetrayer: Ignore this guy's advice. Follow Aogami and Tsuchimikado advice instead. You can trust them. (3 months, he had the first half done then and then started slacking.)

botman: He was too scared to watch IT, so the story got delayed for a few weeks

xMikaelx: ;_; Yeah...This story was supposed to come out a few months ago. Bumps appeared on the way (IT included). Originally, this story was written by someone from our crew *coughhubbcough* but things happened and I took over.

SoulCage: Okay, so let me give a little background on this. After finding out there were several other authors who, at the same time, released an Aogami x Fukiyose fic during the new years, we realized that we could do more united than we could as separate individuals. You could also say that this is the most ambitious crossover in history. Fun isn't something one considers when balancing the universe. But this... puts a smile to my face.

Just kidding. That was totally planned. In case you guys didn't know, I'm soulcage the author of Unscientific Paradigm, and the one before me is Mikael who has a thing for Yuriko.

xMikaelx: *cough* Anyway, we look forward to seeing you guys on the next chapter!

botman: I'm just going to put my name here for some recognition…..

Remember this name, I will probably write something in the future. Probably.

xMikaelx:...botman here is one of the betas, so thank him if you found grammar mistakes lul.

P.S. I hope the next writer does a better job than I did. Also Dammit hubb! This is your chapter, not mine!

* * *

Side Story:

 _"Do you think that our love can create miracles?"_

 _"Yes, I do. That's what brings you back to me each time."_

 _"Do you think our love could take us away together?"_

 _"I think our love can do anything we want it to."_

 _"I love you."_

 _I love you, Allie."_

Once the movie ended, a boy with bleached hair and his girlfriend could only sigh. They did intend to watch a horror movie after all, not some chick flick more than a decade old.

"Hamazura?"

"Y-yeah?"

"I thought we were going to watch a movie about a monster clown?"

"W-well, I thought we need some more romance in our lives, so I went with this movie"

"...Really?"

"...No...The tickets got swapped when I bumped into Boss earlier."

"..."

"Sorry, Takistubo. I guess the movie bored you."

"It's fine."

"Huh?"

"What's important is that you're here with me, watching this awfully boring movie together."

And with that, the other couple's day ended without crisis too.


	2. The Maid-en

Soulcage: It's my turn to continue this tale

Many thanks to the guys who helped me write this chapter xMikaelx, Silverfang88, Darkbetrayer and botman.

* * *

It was a sunny infested afternoon which needed no further definition other than the highlighted skin and moisture accumulating inside the girls' sailor uniforms. Thankfully this vision was presented to us by Tsuchimikado Motoharu's heightened senses. The girl in front of him didn't seem to care, but it was simply because the girl was Himegami Aisa, or maybe it was simply because Tsuchimikado was just wearing sunglasses.

Nevertheless, the blonde idiot was leaning on his chair, grinning like a lunatic as he and Aogami projected visions of discomfort on the spiky-haired bastard, who was looking back at them from his front row seat as if he was in line to be catapulted to the moon.

Without warning, a small paper ball shot towards that spiky hair like a bullet, and immediately, Kamijou was hoping, with tears in his eyes, that the ongoing feud perpetrated by the colorful hair duo would point their hatred at somebody else other than this innocent normal high school boy.

While the puny teacher, who was a bundle of energy, wrote a comprehensive lesson in front of the class, Tsuchimikado launched an impossible trickshot that rebounded against the back of Fukiyose Seiri's white sailor uniform, which was straining from the massive load in front, and landed safely in the middle of Kamijou Touma's desk. The girl looked back at him confused, but he only looked away towards the window where a couple of students were having their baseball practice.

"So, how far did you guys get, you lucky bastard?!" That roughly written note exuded a hidden malice full of spite which disturbed the inner sanctum of Kamijou's mind. That and along with the stock full of crumpled notes filling up the insides of his narrow desk space with words like: "I bet you took her to an abandoned shed and forced yourself on her didn't you, you Kami-yan Disease acclimator!" or "If you put cat ears on her during your escapade to a motel, I'll forgive you. But if you went full vanilla, then you're one sick bastard!"

The valuable questions the class wanted to confirm was that how far the boy progressed with his date, and whether the girl, who was listening to the lecture and was now borrowing an eraser from her friend Fukiyose, got her answer and became the girlfriend of Kamijou Touma.

But sadly, that did not occur, and the boy remained a hopeless, pitiful virgin. Which was why he could not face his two friends, who were bombarding him with paper bullets behind his back, as well as the quiet girl who remained indifferent and was still waiting for his answer. Fukiyose Seiri was also like a dangerous landmine when stepped on. And also the headband gir- nevermind. Needless to say, the entire classroom was anticipating the result of this haphazard romcom and was readying their fists in the likely event that the lucky bastard turned her down at the end of their date. And if he did answer her, well, they'll ready their fists anyway.

In short, Kamijou Touma was dead.

With a mocking grin, Tsuchimikado Motoharu once again leaned forward and wrote something on a torn off piece of paper. "If you got turned down by Aisa-chan for being such a wimp, maybe I'll make a move on her instead!" Once he was satisfied with what he wrote, he crumpled it and was about to raise his hand when a fly found itself entering his nose.

"Uwoh!" His head shook violently as he felt an unbelievable discomfort as if a disturbed beehive penetrated his nasal cavity. In a sudden motion, his arm flung forward and smacked his last ammunition on Fukiyose's back. This ignited the sleeping lion.

A clear, pulsating vein could be seen emerging from the girl's forehead as she stood up, irritated by the constant distraction, her chair screeching from being pushed back. The entire class, including the innocent Tsukuyomi Komoe who was about to get to the interesting part of the lesson, snapped into attention and saw the familiar premonition of what was about to happen next.

"TSU-CHI-MI-KA-DO!" Loudly recited the girl as she took a large step to face the frantic boy who was waving his hands in front of him like a distress signal while trying to take the buzzing insect out of his nose. But Fukiyose did not care one bit.

Bam!

Bam!

A series of massive impacts reverberated throughout the entire classroom, only stopping thanks to the combined efforts of Himegami and Tsukuyomi's sympathetic protests. Tsuchimikado Motoharu, who was reduced to a pile of discarded breakfast leftovers, thanked the two from the bottom of his heart even though he couldn't seem to find it in himself to do so in reality.

"Tsuchimikadooooo! Look at you! You've turned into fried seafood by the hands of a busty chick! I'm so envious!" Kneeling beside his fallen comrade, Aogami wept with tears half with joy and half with awe.

As the class slowly returned to normal and the puny teacher unfairly scolding only the blonde boy for interrupting his class, Himegami noticed a crumpled piece of paper lying on the floor next to her best friend's desk.

"If you got turned down by Aisa-chan for being such a wimp, maybe I'll make a move on her instead!" she read in a low whisper. Her mind especially focused on that last part. There were many romantic TV shows being broadcasted in Academy City's advanced network. Himegami watched and followed all of them with unbreakable faith. And one of the most exciting twists which she had always dreamed of happening to her was the one where the main heroine ends up being pursued by the handsome male lead.

But that was merely a fantasy. No way it could happen to her. A fictional scenario of a mundane girl like her being chased by boys was not likely.

And Tsuchimikado was as perverted as the other members of the delinquent group and not as handsome as the leading actors in her shows. Although, he held a certain charm which set him apart from the class. He was the most mysterious. He doesn't divulge all that he knew. A small haze of red reached the surface of her cheeks, but she shook it off immediately. The fantasies must stop there. She quietly scurried to her seat and buried herself in her books. She took a brief glance back towards the blonde boy who had fixed himself up before distracting herself in the continuing lecture. The note lay crumpled in her pocket.

The blistering heat of the morning continued to wrap the space of Academy City with a comfortable warmth.

* * *

The cafeteria was unsurprisingly a busy place during lunch time. The event to grab the last batch of soba bread ended in a draw as it got torn to pieces and fell on the floor.

"What a waste of food," sighed Fukiyose as she witnessed the battle end in a disaster.

She held a ticket firmly in her hands. Annoyance was still clearly written on her face. As she got in line for the cafeteria counter, the blonde troublemaker from earlier got behind her with his own ticket in hand. His face had a couple of band-aids stuck on for good measure. She glared at him but refocused her attention to the line again.

"Not bringing your own bento today, Fukiyose?" Chimed in the boy as he rubbed his back to relieve the pain.

"I forgot to pack it today. What about you? Don't you have a maid for a sister?" She crossed her arms under her chest and carried over her displeased tone.

Tsuchimikado expelled a long, exaggerated breath. "Maika was mad at me this morning and forgot to make my lunch." Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the meal listed on Fukiyose's ticket. "You're really going with that? Don't you care about your daily calorie intake?"

"The menu here is very limited sadly."

The boy frowned and compared her ticket with his. "Maika, big brother is so sorry…" He sniffled as a single tear ran down his cheek.

Feeling touched by his loss of beloved food and the adoration of his cute sister, Fukiyose was forced to pat his back and forget their earlier spat. Once it was finally their turn, they exchanged their tickets and then looked calmly at their spoils.

"Your first time buying one of these too?"

"Yeah, I just didn't think they'd be in such small portions…" Fukiyose hung her shoulders after inspecting the underwhelming donburi on her tray. Tsuchimikado mimicked her disappointment and the two moved towards a vacant table where the cafeteria was at its most quiet.

The two sat there in disdainful silence before bowing their heads, admitting their defeat, and raising their chopsticks to begin their lunch. As Tsuchimikado took a small bite, visions of his sister's smiling face cooking him a fine maid specialty appeared in his mind.

"If you don't like it, then don't eat it." Fukiyose started eating without the effects of the taste appearing on her indifferent expression.

"Sorry, I just recalled the purpose of my life." Tsuchimikado swallowed hard and moved on to the next bite.

After finishing their meal, the two left the the cafeteria and returned to their classroom where only a few of their classmates were waiting.

Hearing a couple of footsteps behind her, Himegami turned around and noticed Fukiyose and Tsuchimikado coming back from their lunch together. Instead of returning to her seat, however, Fukiyose was called over by a headband-wearing girl about student council duties.

Seeing that the only barrier was gone, Tsuchimikado made his move.

"Yo, Himegami!" The blonde boy let out a wide grin as he took Fukiyose's seat and pulled it closer to the quiet girl before sitting on it. "So what happened with your date with Kami-yan? He's been hiding from me and Aogami whenever we confront him."

"Well, it was really fun. We watched a movie and enjoyed it even though he got it mixed up."

"Typical Kami-yan! Did he get you two in a steamy hot chick flick?"

"No, nothing like that," she replied in a shy voice. "We just watched a horror movie, and I really enjoyed it. Although, Kamijou-kun was really pale while we were watching, especially when the scary clown entered the scene and when the kids got backed into a corner."

As Himegami continued reciting how the events took place in their date, Tsuchimikado found himself observing her calm demeanor and her ever composed posture befitting a high priestess from the Heian period, a Miko. It was not her fault that she was often left in the background. It was just that this classroom contained a number of colorful characters which raised the bar to the extreme. He himself was, in part, guilty for this as well. But if she contained the same presence as Fukiyose, she could reach the heights of a school idol. She definitely had the looks, although the shape of her body was still a mystery.

Tsuchimikado shook his head out of his exaggerated imagery, and Himegami tilted her head in a questioning look before continuing her story. Body or not, Himegami Aisa was a pretty and kind girl, the blonde finally decided. If he got confessed to by her, he would have wavered in his decision because she was a huge catch.

"Are you listening to me?" Himegami frowned and looked straight into the eyes behind the blonde's sunglasses.

The blonde boy got snapped back to reality and realized that he was looking directly at Himegami's eyes. "Sorry about that, I was daydreaming."

"That's not good. You were the one who asked me what happened to my date with Kamijou-kun."

Resting his elbow on Himegami's desk, startling the poor girl due to the sudden closeness, Tsuchimikado once again let out a wide grin as if he was plotting something. The girl's heart skipped a beat. The boy was oblivious to this, however. "So did he give you a definite answer?"

"No, he was still indecisive, so I told him that he didn't have to answer me right away." She breathed a short sigh. "But, I'm not depressed. My confession was indeed quite sudden, so I shouldn't have expected him to reciprocate my feelings like that. It's actually quite sweet that he was honest with me. I guess that's just one of the things that I like about Kamijou-kun."

Tsuchimikado nodded vigorously at that, leaning closer practically face-to-face with the nervous girl. Her cheeks turned red as she tried to piece together his intentions. "That's not good, you should be more aggressive."

Himegami turned to one side, trying to evade the sharp eyes of the predator. "I-I don't know how to..."

The boy remained at the same distance. "You should hit him right in the strike zone."

"Strike zone?" One eye peeked from the side to meet with his, a shade of red still visible on her cheeks. It was a known fact that Kamijou, one of the queer members of the pervert trio, was a sucker for a certain type of woman. In fact, all boys did. A certain type of preference she had heard them yelling and arguing about was the mature and strict dorm manager. But he wasn't sure if she could act or dress to that type of character however.

"Yeah, yeah, guys really like it when the girls are more forward and assertive. Kami-yan is a sucker for aggressive women. Although, you need to act all mature. And wear sharp glasses and tights."

"Tights…?"

"Yeah, black tights makes a girl more mature and raises their sex appeal. Don't you know that?"

Himegami became more aware of Tsuchimikado's close presence, but that all changed when the stern wall Fukiyose came back and loomed over behind the now sweating blonde. Fukiyose's eyes pointed towards him and the close proximity of his body to her friend.

Her eyes twitching, she turned her attention again to the boy whose sunglasses were now at the edge of his nose. "What do you think you're doing? Don't you know that she already has someone she likes?"

As Tsuchimikado inched away from the expressionless girl, Fukiyose Seiri replaced his spot and switched to a motherly tone. "Did he do something weird to you? Just say the word, and I'll have him disposed of."

"Hey, I'm not some spoiled meat you can just throw away!" was what Tsuchimikado wanted to say but couldn't because he didn't want to intrude them.

"No, he was just giving me… some advice." Himegami fidgeted and recalled how close they were a few seconds ago. "You really shouldn't be so hard on him, Seiri. Tsuchimikado is just being friendly."

Perturbed by the response, Fukiyose let out an audible "Hmph!" as she could not believe her friend was defending the siscon pervert of all people, although she was somewhat of a close friend to him as well. But she must change the subject to something more important. Sitting down and pushing Tsuchimikado out of the chair, she uncrossed her arms and loosened her body before she spoke. "So what happened on your date with Kamijou?"

That sudden question took Himegami by surprise. Her eyes darted away from her friend before replying. "Nothing really happened. We just watched a movie and ate dinner."

Fukiyose nodded vigorously, and Tsuchimikado sighed as he strode back to his seat with his hands behind his head. He continued to listen to Himegami recounting her experiences during the date as if she were the heroine of a shoujo manga. He wondered to himself why he acted that way with Himegami earlier. It was strange, as if he was being moved by an invisible hand which was being attracted... enticed by the shrine maiden's charm.

He shook his head. She's already got Kami-yan. No way he'll fall for her now. The last thing the world needed was a female version of the Kami-yan Disease.

Finally, the end of the day had dawned. This was one of Tsuchimikado's favorite part of his daily life because he got to return to his dorm and get greeted by the cute Maika and her frilly maid uniform. But that wasn't the case for today.

With a sigh, he opened the door to his room and set down his things at a corner. He cooked, cleaned and took a shower. The person that came out of the bathroom was a refreshed Tsuchimikado,,free of his dark sunglasses and his gaudy, unnecessary accessories. Academy City started a peaceful night, until a heavy banging pounded on the boy's front door.

"Onii-chaaaaaaan!"

There was only one individual with a voice that cute, was what Tsuchimikado instantly thought.

"Ufufufu…" An arrogant laugh escaped his lips as he devised a plan to dive into a large hug on her with all his brotherly love to end their fight.

"Oniiiiiiiiii-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!" The banging grew louder.

With that, he removed his towel from his shoulders and began stalking towards the door with his arms dangling above him. His spine tingled with excitement as he anticipated his beloved sister's petite body. But as soon as he reached the door, the sound of wood splitting apart entered his ears and the door slammed against his forehead, knocking him back a couple of feet away.

Tsuchimikado Maika crashed on him like a wild tornado, still sitting on top of a cleaning robot. The boy had no clue what was going on. All he could grasp from his vision was a kaleidoscope of his sister's frowning face in differing colors. He shook his head from side to side a number of times until he felt his brain putting itself together. And then he finally recalled his mission.

"Uwwaaaaah! Maikaaaaaa! I didn't know you missed onii-chan that much!"

"Ughh… What are you doing, onii-chan?! This is not the time to be hugging your adorable little sister." Maika pushed herself away from his clutches and stood up, patting her skirt and apron clean. Without a doubt, this was the sister he knew and loved. Once she confirmed that her clothes were straightened out, she nodded to herself and discussed the matter at hand. "Anyway, you've got to help me, onii-chan! Never in my life have I needed you the most, in fact, saying 'No' here means abandoning your only family!"

"Wait, hold on, Maika, you're speaking too fast. Onii-chan can't quite understand what you're talking about."

"Basically." She cleared her voice before continuing. "My school has a bit of a dilemma, and I need you to act as an extra pair of arms. Come on, follow me. Showing you will be faster."

"Ehhh? But it's already evening." The boy furrowed his brows in slight annoyance, clearly reluctant to go out when he had just settled for the night.

"Us maids work around the clock, you know? There's no way we'll let something frivolous as time get in the way of our work. Now on your feet, onii-chan."

After putting on his casual clothes, Motoharu followed his sister out of his dorm and into a street. They wound up taking a long, long walk, which left the blonde boy panting and pouring sweat all over his body while his sister remained the same thanks to her robotic steed. He wondered how much energy does the metallic thing store up and if Maika ever stopped to recharge it or hop on another robot to take control.

They finally stopped at a small shopping street similar to what you'll see anywhere in Japan, but with the usual metal bars blockading sunk deep into the road in order to allow late night delivery trucks passage. The shop they stood in front of was a large modern cafe which had 'elegant' written all over it. What was odd about this was that the "maids" that worked in cafes were considered heretical in the eyes of a serious trainee like Maika. "Cosplay" was the only word she used to describe them. But somehow they were now in front of one such shop. This rustled Tsuchimikado's brain as well since he too was a maid connoisseur, although not to the level that he would reject this kind of business outright. Maids in all shapes and forms were accepted in his domains.

Nevertheless, he spoke up, "Ummm…. Maika, don't tell me you're training in a maid cafe now?"

Turning her head around to reveal a disgusted face, which prompted the other maid wearing a unique, bee-themed maid outfit she was speaking to, to glare at the boy, Maika responded without hesitation. "Are you joking? That's complete blasphemy, onii-chan. Please go and refurbish your meaning of what a maid is."

"Eh? Then what is this place?"

"This is merely a place to shop for maid tools and supplies like cuffs, ribbons, dresses, aprons, napkins, and utensils," Maika replied as the maid behind her that sported some outrageous hair curls nodded in agreement. "Anyway, onii-chan, about that favor…."

The boy swallowed whatever was in his throat and braced himself on what kind of task will he be given. He would do anything for this little sister even if it meant making himself an enemy of an entire nation. But he was not sure if it was just to wear a maid outfit. Even he has an amount of pride in him to decline that kind of request.

"Basically oniichan, I want you to wear our uniform and pretend to be a maid for a day."

"That's the favor?! No, absolutely not, Maika. Onii-chan still has an amount of pride which he refuses to give up!"

"Oh, I knew you would say that. I thought a maid uniform will suit you, so I brought you here to try out some outfits."

"I refuse." Motoharu replied with every ounce of his manhood. The little sister had no choice but hang her shoulders from the rejection. "Anyway, why did you even think that? Why do you need me to become a maid of all things?"

The maid behind Maika whispered a couple of things to her which he couldn't hear, but it seemed she finally relented and agreed to explain. "Well, this morning one of the maids who agreed to volunteer with us to work in the Tokiwadai dorms during the open house has gotten sick with the flu and wouldn't be able to participate. There's only a day left before the event, so we desperately need someone to fill in, even if it's someone from a different school."

"Why not ask the other maids at your school? It's not like you have to settle with the ones at your class." The boy scratched the back of his head at the simple answer he provided.

"Onii-chan." The girl shook her head rather grimly. "You don't understand how busy maids are in this part of the year. We've already asked everyone we knew in the entire campus, and everybody is fully booked." The maid behind her nodded with a knowing expression.

"What a situation you are in." The boy sighed and tried to think of a way to help. Also, there was no way in a million years he would wear a maid outfit. Being a butler was acceptable, but not a maid. The appropriate gender must wear the correct choice of clothes after all.

"Maika…" The bee-themed maid talking to his little sister chimed in again. "It's getting late. Let's ask around class again tomorrow."

Then, a very small idea lit up within that blonde boy's head. "You know what, I think I can find candidates in my class who would be willing. I'll send you a text message tomorrow."

The little sister turned towards her big brother once again. "Are you sure you don't want to be a maid?"

"No!"

* * *

The next day, Tsuchimikado found himself wrestling around a certain important decision. There were a lot of girls in his class, but he didn't knew them well enough to ask a complicated favor. This left him with two obvious choices. On one side, there was his close friend, and quite a beauty too, Fukiyose Seiri. On the other hand, there was Himegami Aisa. He needed to choose either one of those two girls to be a maid. There was no guarantee that they would agree, of course, so he would persuade them the best he could.

He took a long glance at his surroundings. But why was he considering Himegami in the first place? It's not like he wanted to spend more time with her. Of course not. She's already got Kami-yan to consider. He definitely didn't want to get in the way of her and that pointy-haired boy.

"Ummm…. Himegami?" The pointy-haired boy stood up, holding a pencil with a stubbed tip.

In an instant, Tsuchimikado rose from his seat and dashed towards the pathway between the two. "Here, Kami-yan, use mine!" He said out of nowhere with a smile as if it was natural for him to be standing far away from his seat.

"Eh? What? Tsuchimikado? Well, uhh… sure." Kamijou took the pencil which was being pointed directly at his face. "Thanks?" With his problem solved, he turned back like he had been staved away by an angry guard dog.

Himegami let out a quizzical look as Tsuchimikado turned away.

The blonde boy was awkwardly doing suspicious movements throughout the day until Fukiyose finally stepped in.

"You're acting weird, Tsuchimikado. What's up?" The girl turned an eye to him while holding her meal ticket.

Even though he had a neatly packed lunch prepared for him by his loving sister Maika, Tsuchimikado fell in line behind Fukiyose in order to not let his comrade suffer alone from eating the disappointing cafeteria lunch. Through his sunglasses, he looked at Fukiyose casually like he had so many times before on a boring day. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been trying to separate Kamijou and Himegami for a while now. Even if Himegami hasn't noticed it, it's plainly obvious to me." Fukiyose sighed. "Well, it's none of my business who you like, but don't get in the way of other people's romance."

It was there that the boy did a spit-take. "You think I like H-Himegami?! Where did that come from?"

The girl only shrugged and looked downcast. Tsuchimikado's mind wandered away from the cafeteria lunch line and into something more complicated. Specifically, Himegami Aisa. Did the recent development in her character caught his attention? Was it the reason why he made his advancements earlier? He thought about it until their line started moving.

Once they were at the front of the line, Tsuchimikado noticed the meal ticket in Fukiyose's hand. "I heard that this one gives more servings and lower calories" He held his ticket up high with the girl slowly looking up.

"Ramen?" She asked with obvious doubt. "I don't mind, but the lack of meat isn't very filling. I like to have a regular intake of protein."

"Are you serious? If you keep eating meat like that, your breasts will grow into large bowling balls."

"Well… it can't be helped." The girl blushed and turned away.

"Don't tell me that's what you're really after?!" Tsuchimikado's eyes went wide underneath his sunglasses. His mind conjured images of an unrealistic explosion of Fukiyose Seiri's cleavage which could destroy any binding and bra. She already had respectfully large ones, and if they grew even more, she could most likely wage war against the majority of women in Japan.

"Of course not! I just like meat is all!" The girl puffed her cheeks up angrily and crossed her arms underneath those heavy objects of interest.

He breathed a sigh of relief and once again raised the ticket to grab her attention. "So what will it be? "

The indecisiveness was evident on her face, but she eventually gave up, switching her meal for the boy's. He smiled when she took his offer and commented, "We can split the bento Maika prepared between the two of us if you think that is still not enough.."

The girl turned red around the cheeks yet again. "Thanks…" And silently walked forward to exchange the meal ticket for a large bowl of hot ramen at the counter. The boy followed her and got the unpalatable meal meant to possibly enlarge the girl's bosomy.

As they returned to their classroom after a pleasant meal, mostly thanks to Maika's cooking, Tsuchimikado returned to the task at hand. Although he was still not certain.

It was when he was taking a stride towards Fukiyose when his course abruptly changed. "Hey, Fuki-..." Tsuchimikado stopped in his tracks and directed his attention towards the girl who just came back from lunch. As he made his move, Fukiyose's sidelong glance reached his sudden change of mind and followed him towards her friend. When he smiled and started talking to the quiet girl who looked good in a shrine maiden outfit, she felt a mysterious pang in her chest. The meaning was clear, and the message was painful. She got up and hurriedly left the classroom.

"A maid for a day?" Himegami's sleepy eyes turned into ones of curiosity when she heard the situation from Tsuchimikado.

"Please, Himegami. Maika is in deep trouble if she doesn't find a replacement for tomorrow."

"Well…" Her eyes fell down on her twiddling fingers. "It's not like I don't want to, it's just that I know nothing about maids and… I won't look good in those kinds of clothes."

Tsuchimikado looked straight into Himegami's cute face. "That's not true. I think you will look pretty in a maid outfit. And Maika will teach you everything you need to know about what to do. She's a great teacher, don't worry."

"But, I'm not sure…" The girl averted her eyes from his piercing gaze. "Why not Seiri? She's prettier. I think she'll do well in any kind of task you give her. "

"It has to be you, Himegami. You've got that certain charm in you that maids are missing. What do you say?"

Himegami instantly blushed after receiving those sweet words. "If you say so…"

"Is that a yes?"

Her blushing face hidden beneath her straight bangs, she gave a silent nod, which earned a happy grin from Tsuchimikado.

"Great! I knew I could count on you!" He gave her a gentle pat on the back before continuing. "Let's meet up after school. I'll give Maika a call to tell her that you're going to do it."

They left the classroom together side by side when the last bell chimed in. Tsuchimikado could only grin as he bid Kamijou and the others farewell, saying that they both have urgent business to do. Kamijou looked confused while Fukiyose remained dejected, which no one around saw.

As instructed by Maika, they stopped at the store which he had visited last night where Maika and the mysterious bee girl were waiting yet again.

"Is this her, onii-chan?" The little sister proceeded to measure the newcomer with critical eyes. Her face molded into a serious measuring state which reminded Motoharu of a professional art curator. "She is quite cute. I think she'll do well wearing a maid uniform. Although, I think a shrine maiden outfit would suit her more. Well done, onii-chan!"

The boy grinned and tapped his chest. "You can always count on me."

"On a different note," muttered the girl in a serious tone, her eyes turning into as sharp as daggers. "What's your relationship with her?"

"Ah," Motoharu was taken aback. "We're just friends, right Himegami?"

"Y-yes," the girl nodded shyly.

Maika's judging stare turned soft. "Is that so? Well, good then. Follow me to the store so we can make the arrangements."

The interior of the shop was spread out with many different kinds of maid-centric objects. Motoharu's interest was piqued a number of times by the exceedingly rare commodities laid out in the shelves. But soon he was left outside the changing room as the two girls went ahead to take Himegami's measurements. He didn't know what the big deal was with him learning about those numbers, but he decided to opt out and wait patiently for what was to come.

It was taking longer than expected. Sometimes Maika went out of the room to get something, sometimes it was the bee girl. He didn't realize how tough it was to maidifize a single person. This was what he expected from a shopping trip with women.

After what seemed like an eternity, Tsuchimikado, who was worn out and sitting in one of the chairs, looked up at the sound of curtains being drawn. The three girls finally stepped out of the walls blocking the changing rooms from the public.

Himegami's expression was redder than anything he had ever seen. She stood at the center with the two other maids. Although her maid uniform was not as out of this world as the one with the ringlet curls or as refined as Maika's, Himegami the maid was a work of art. Her long hair was tied up in a ponytail, higher than what she was used to, and behind a simple white bonnet. Her dress was a deep, dark black, a stark contrast to her pure white apron. Her skirt was shorter than Maika's and about as long as the other maid's, with frills along the edges. Best of all were the black leggings which reached up underneath her skirt.

Tsuchimikado's sunglasses fell off of his noses as his head turned into stone from witnessing the birth of the ultimate maid, Himegami Aisa.

"H-How do I look?" The girl didn't want to make eye contact. Her fingers played with themselves while she tried to figure out what to do with herself.

"Yeah onii-chan, how does she look? Give us your honest opinion so we can make the necessary adjustments... Onii-chan…?"

It took a couple of seconds before Tsuchimikado's brain rebooted and returned to normal. He finally raised a formidable thumbs up which he emphasized with his almost scary expression, which urged the three girls to step back. "She's perfect! Don't change a single thing about her!"

Maika and her friend breathed a sigh of relief while Himegami fidgeted some more.

Tsuchimikado suddenly recalled one other problem they need to face. "Maika, before anything else I'd like to mention that Himegami has no experience when it comes to being a maid."

Himegami nodded vigorously to raise that point.

The maids looked at one another and then shrugged as if the problem was a trivial matter. "In that case, we will have to borrow her for a while, onii-chan."

Himegami thought for second how nice and wonderful Tsuchimikado's sister was to be teaching a total beginner from scratch, even though time was not a necessity. Without warning, two hands grabbed at each sides of her shoulders. A creeping dread crawled up her spine as the voices of the two maids whispered slowly in her ear. "Prepare yourself, newcomer. The world of maids is a harsh path. Don't blame us if you come out begging for your life."

As the shrine maiden-turned-maid apprentice shuddered and feared for her life, the oblivious Tsuchimikado scratched the back of his head and headed over to his friend. The two demons talking to her dismantled themselves as he approached.

"Hey, Himegami." He stepped forward with a relieved smile. "Thanks a lot for coming today. Maika was in a tight spot, but you saved her."

Himegami smiled. "You really love your sister, don't you?"

"Heh, I do. It's a brother's duty to take care of his sister." He pumped his chest up full of confidence

"It's sweet how close you two are and how you would go through these lengths to help her."

He shook his head in response to that. "No, I didn't do anything really. I was completely useless this time around."

Averting her eyes, a hint of red surfaced as she whispered low enough that he wouldn't be able to hear. "I'm jealous…"

"But you know, Himegami, if there's anything that's ever troubling you, feel free to come to me for help."

"Anything…?"

The boy nodded and let out a mischievous smirk. "Anything you want," he stressed out with his voice. "If you need a manservant or someone to make Kami-yan jealous, just call me up, and I'll be there."

The girl looked flustered and immediately reprimanded him. "S-stop teasing me like th-that, Tsuchimikado… "

The blonde boy waved them goodbye as they went on their way to begin the girl's training.

* * *

It was the day of the open house.

The entire cafeteria which looked like a five star restaurant was packed with maids preparing tables and escorting guests to their respective tables. The guests were mostly wealthy people of Academy City enjoying the sites of the large dormitory which also looked like a five star hotel.

The pony-tailed maid named Himegami Aisa did her best to not fall behind her fellow maids, with Maika assisting her from time to time. She often noticed people staring at her with awe when she stopped at their table to take their order, but her only reaction was confusion and the need to check her uniform for anything unsightly.

After getting the orders from the table occupied by a family, Himegami returned to the pantry with the unclean plates. She wiped her forehead gently with the back of her hand.

"You're doing well, Aisa-chan," praised one of Maika's friends as she handed her a napkin.

"T-thanks…" She politely nodded to her despite being one year older. It was the height of lunch, and she was already getting tired. Thankfully, tomorrow will be a break day so she will have enough time to rest.

The guests seemed to be pouring non-stop, and the tables were becoming more occupied at a steady pace. Himegami found herself rushing across the entire floor as she alternated from greeting guests and delivering plates of food and coffee.

"Are you okay, Himegami-san?" asked Maika sounding concerned as they found a brief moment of solace just outside the kitchen door overlooking the entire hall.

"Yes, I am fine. Please don't worry." She took a deep breath and drank up a small glass of water. "Your job is physically challenging, Maika. I think it's because I don't do enough sports that I'm feeling out of breath already."

"Make sure to take several deep breaths," assured the little girl as she took a number of breaths to emphasize her point.

Himegami did as she was told and felt her heart a little before settling down.

Eventually, they noticed a couple of other guests coming in, and so they returned to their posts to work.

The number of tables she had served and prepared slowly built up her experience. It was a good thing that the guests were so polite and nice, which made it easier for her to interact with them even though she was not very sociable.

She felt a mysterious ringing in her head as her legs wobbled up towards a wall far away from any table.

"Oh no… I overdid it." She pressed her hand against the hard surface for support as her head begun to spin around. It felt like a minute, but in reality it took only a mere three seconds from her head losing their orientation to her losing the strength in her legs and falling down.

But a pair of hands caught her just as she was about to hit the floor.

"Himegami!" shouted the boy with blonde hair, Tsuchimikado Motoharu. "You totally overdid it, you idiot!" Without delay, he quickly pulled her over to a chair and grabbed a glass of water.

The girl weakly reached for the glass, but the boy supported it up towards her mouth, waiting for her to open it. He gently poured it inside, taking care not to pour too much.

He knelt down and observed her breathing before sighing. "You're too much of a hard worker."

Her lingering eyes drifted onto his concerned face. "Tsuchimikado? Why are you here?" There was a delay in her speech.

"I came to check up on you and make sure things like this don't happen."

"I'm sorry for worrying… Give me a minute. I'll be right back up." She insisted.

"No, stay here and rest until I tell you too." Tsuchimikado's voice was loud and clear.

"But…"

"Himegami…" Tsuchimikado whispered and stared right at the girl's determined face. Within moments, he suddenly stifled a laugh which earned an angry look from the girl. "Sorry, sorry, I just can't believe how serious you are. You are such an idiot you know that?"

The girl puffed her checks and looked to one side, obviously angry at being teased.

"But you know, I think this is one of the things why I like you." He let out of one the cutest smiles she had ever seen, and she couldn't help but get flustered. It was one of those smiles she had seen in the shows that made her heart skip a beat. "Stay here with me until you're better. I'm sure Maika and the rest can handle things from here."

* * *

 _ ***RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING***_

"I'm coming! I'm coming! But if you're just another sales person, then I'm afraid I'll have to decline!" The sudden interruption caught the small teacher by surprise while she was in the middle of watching her favorite TV show. Her wards were not at home so she couldn't ask someone to record the show even for a few minutes.

As the door creaked open, the familiar figures of her two wards came into view.

"This is really problematic," commented Himegami, who was still wearing a ponytail for some reason, with a concerned tone. A small box which the maids gave her as a thank you gift was tightly held on one hand.

Beside her, Musujime Awaki sighed and looked displeased. "Did you have that bad feeling again just like that other time? Oh, hi Komoe."

"Sorry for coming home so late yet again." The ponytailed girl bowed in apology.

"Oh it's fine, I'm glad Musujime-chan was free to walk home with you. Is that from the maids at Ryouran Maid school?"

"Yes, it's a cake they made. I thought I'd share it with you two."

"You're not giving a piece to that blonde boy?" asked Musujime sounding surprised.

"Well… I thought that I'd take revenge on him for teasing me instead by not giving him one." She pouted as they both came in the apartment. "He did nothing but tease me while I was on break and Maika actually got mad at him for hitting on her coworkers."

As Komoe went to set the table and get plates, Musujime recalled something as she lowered herself to sit in front of the small table. "Oh yeah, what's that about that bad feeling you experienced from earlier?"

Himegami looked troubled. "I think it is the same as that time when I went out with Kamijou-kun."

"Your stalker again, huh? I thought it was just your imagination, but I guess two occurrences can't just be a coincidence."

"Yes, I think the stalker is real."

* * *

Soulcage: I'm not very good with writing romance. Hopefully this didn't turn out too bad as I wanted this to feel like an actual shoujo manga. Tell me your thoughts on how Himegami gained yet another boy toy. On a side note, thanks to the drastic change in my daily routine and living space, I have been writing less and less to the point that I stopped completely, perhaps due to lack in motivation or disgust in my own writing. So right now, with this chapter, I hope that I can continue this momentum to my other fics.

xMikaelx: orz mfw you wrote everything in a month… And mine took three… Anyway, for this chapter, we have a new supporter for Himegami's romance: Tsuchimikado Motoharu! But what's this? Why does it feel like the Nya-nya bastard's actions have stirred up new trouble for our girl? And what was that aching feeling Fukiyose had? And who's the stalker?...Honestly I don't know. I guess we'll let the next writer do his work! Hope to see you guys on the next chapter as well! \o/

...Now that I thought about it, the next writer might only take a few days to write their piece...

Soulcage: think he's already finished.:T :f orz xDDD

botman: Well, if we're doing cringy text faces…

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿'̿'\̵͇̿̿\з= ( ▀ ͜͞ʖ▀) =ε/̵͇̿̿/'̿'̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿▄︻̷̿┻̿═━一 ( ͡°( ͡° ͜ʖ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ʖ ͡°) ͡°)ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ(▀̿Ĺ̯▀̿ ̿)(ง ͠° ͟ل͜ ͡°)ง

A month is a long time to write a 7k word story. I can do it in a week.

xMikaelx: Shut up, bot.

Dragonrails91: Himegami being a maid was awesome! Nice job, also shut up Bot!

Darkbetrayer: Why am I the only sane one here?


	3. Cos-Maiden

Hubb2001: Darkbetrayer's turn for a chapter!

But first, since we forgot to last chapter, time to respond to some reviews.

whwsms: The Hime-Hime Disease does have a nice ring to it. Who knows.

Bluejack222: So long as Touma exists, something misfortunate will always happen.

Guest: It is indeed Darkbetrayer's chapter time.

And with that, onto the story!

* * *

The next few days passed without much incident.

The main reason?

Kamijou Touma was absent.

Himegami couldn't help glancing over at the empty seat in the classroom several times a day. It was already Wednesday but he had not shown up once this week. She was hardly lonely as Fukiyose and Tsuchimikado kept her company. Still, she couldn't help at least wondering where Kamijou was or what he was doing. After all, he still owed her an answer. She didn't want to pressure him, but the anticipation only grew each day. Every day his absence had caused Fukiyose to grow more and more irritated. Her complaints about him grew in frequency. Himegami kept silent during most of her rants, because she couldn't detect any true malice behind them. Fukiyose actually sounded more concerned than angry. This served to only confuse her.

She still couldn't tell if her friend liked Kamijou or not.

"I wonder what he's up to," Himegami muttered to herself at her desk. Her words reached Tsuchimikado, who had turned and leaned toward her.

"I bet he's saving another girl or three," he whispered. "You know what he's like. He'll be back soon; maybe with a bandage or two, blame his misfortune, and then take sensei's after-school classes to catch up."

"That lucky bastard," Aogami fumed near the two of them. "Why can't I have that kind of luck? Randomly run into a girl who needs help, save her from thugs, and then start going out. It's like the most important flag raising scenario!"

"His life is like a galge," Himegami admitted quietly. No one heard her as everyone was more focused on Aogami's outburst. Fukiyose took his question in stride.

"That's because no girl is going to want to go out with a pervert like you until you turn your life around," she answered. "Stop wasting your time drawing porn and talking about garbage, and instead focus on your school work to become a productive member of society."

"Drawing anime is being a productive member of society!" Aogami countered and stuck a finger in Fukiyose's face. "It provides entertainment and revenue to millions of people! Just because you can't appreciate the beauty of it, doesn't mean you should be allowed to talk down on it!"

"Yeah!" Tsuchimikado agreed, moving in a blur next to his friend's side. "You should get out more and live a little. School only teaches you so much. Doujins contain the hopes and dreams of men and women everywhere. If your life is ever dull and boring, you can escape into a world of your imagination."

"Then they are just using a crutch to escape from reality!" Fukiyose shot back. "They should be out learning a new skill or improving as a person."

 _Here they go again._ Himegami thought with a combination of exasperation and amusement. Most of these conversations were rather crude. However, she couldn't help listening. _Doujins aren't all bad. They don't have to be rated M._

"Ah!" Aogami raised his hand and pointed at the ceiling. "But they are learning a skill! Do you think logo designs and billboards just spring out of midair? No! They are made by art students. Many of who started in school drawing pictures and scripts, including doujins. It's a gateway into a career while expressing themselves from their desires in a way that causes no one to be hurt!"

Himegami raised an eyebrow in surprise as Fukiyose became momentarily stunned. She was rarely at a loss for words. If only the two boys had kept their mouth shut at that point, they might have gotten away with their antics.

Tsuchimikado appeared to have other plans.

"Besides," he added. "How else can normal guys like us get girls with Kami-yan around? You're the only one we know who can resist his charm. Do you make an antidote in your chest or something? Is that why they're so big?"

A vein throbbed in Fukiyose's head.

 _So close,_ Himegami sighed internally as the guys were pummeled mercilessly upon stepping on a landmine they could have easily avoided. She felt slightly bad for them, but they did bring it upon themselves. Even if she wanted to help, her self-confidence remained a barrier preventing her from settling the ruckus. After looking around the class to avoid their boys' pain, her eyes flickered to the door when it opened. A small part of her hoped it would be Kamijou. That wasn't the case this time. The familiar pink hair of her tiny teacher came into view.

"Take your seats!" Komoe called out to the class. Fukiyose ceased her onslaught and sat down. Aogami and Tsuchimikado managed to push themselves off the ground and drag themselves to their seats. "Let's start attendance…"

Himegami's mind began to wonder as Komoe started to read off names. It was kind of foolish to hope Kamijou would show up. Still, she had, even though she knew that. When she finally got him off her mind, she found her eyes drifting over to Tsuchimikado. The embarrassing, but oddly rewarding, event she helped his sister with still fresh in her memory. The note she had read from him also floated to the forefront of her mind. She had to admit to herself he was attractive. He was slightly tanned, fit, and possessed a decent amount of muscles. Her face grew warm. She forced her eyes away from him and back to the blackboard at the front of the class.

 _It's not like I'm a heroine of some game,_ she thought to herself glumly. _I can't get my hopes up either way. That was a onetime thing. Only main characters get to continually do exciting things like that._

* * *

"Please, Fukiyose-sama!"

"For the last time no!"

It was after school, and Himegami was just about to press her hand against the door to the classroom to retrieve a book she forgot when the sounds of Fukiyose and Aogami arguing stopped her. They were definitely arguing about something. Not wanting to intrude in case it was something personal, she stepped back, but their voices still carried.

"You would be perfect for the part, and it would really help me out!"

"I'm not going to encourage your fetishes and, besides, I'm busy this Saturday."

"It's only for a couple hours! You're the only one I can turn to!"

"No, now let go!"

There was a dull thud and Himegami ducked toward the side as the door burst open. Fukiyose stomped out down the hall, too distracted to even notice her. Himegami tilted her head in confusion and then looked into the classroom. Pierce was lying face up on the ground and wasn't moving.

"Are you okay?" Himegami asked, looking down once she had moved over to his position.

"Just resting," he replied with a laugh. "With the number of beatings she had dished out, my body has become pretty sturdy." He frowned. "Though, if she's not willing to help, I'm not sure who to turn too."

"Help with what?"

"A couple of guys and I have a booth set up at a doujin convention this Saturday," Pierce explained, still not getting up off the ground. "Not to brag, but the first volume we released online has been pretty well received. A lot of people are coming to check us out and buy a physical copy."

"That… sounds good?" Himegami couldn't figure out what the problem was.

"The thing is," he continued, his tone growing darker. "Is that too many people are going to be there. I'm talking hundreds of booths. It's the first one Academy City is holding and there's going to be tons of people. We need a gimmick to draw people toward us. We had one girl who was willing to dress up in the main heroine outfit, but her brother's sick and she can't go. I was hoping Fukiyose would help us out. Her chest is huge. Every guy in the convention will want to visit our stall." Himegami's face grew sour, and her eyes darted down slightly at her own chest. "So now we have to try to find another attractive girl to help us out."

"Oh," Himegami replied, her tone irritated. "Good luck with that then." She was about to turn to leave when a sudden pressure gripped her wrist. She glanced back and saw Aogami standing up with his hand clamped on hers. How he managed to rise so quickly was a mystery.

"Hang on," Aogami said slowly. "You're a girl."

"I am," Himegami agreed. "So you noticed."

"And you're pretty cute," he continued. Himegami could feel her face grow warm. She could tell where this conversation was going. He dropped on his knees while maintaining his hold on her wrist. His other hand joined the first, and he started begging. "Please help us! It's only for a few hours!"

"I'm not really suitable for those kinds of things," Himegami muttered. Her face was still flushing because with their positions, it was like Aogami was proposing.

"Please!" he begged. "You're the only one!"

His words were not helping.

"What would I have to do?" Himegami finally relented at seeing his pathetic expression. For one it worked to his advantage.

"Nothing hard," Aogami reassured her. "You would stand by the booth and wave at people. Maybe take a picture or two if you're comfortable with it. Your role is to help draw in customers who may not know our series. We even have the outfit and I'm sure it would fit you with minor adjustments."

"What kind of outfit?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Being a classmate of his, she had a sneaky suspicion about the kind of outfit Aogami would prepare. She usually dressed rather conservatively. Besides her school outfit and miko outfit, nearly all of her casual clothes were rather modest. They did not show a lot of skin.

"We have the string bikini armor that would be sure to accent your curves and b-…"

He didn't get to finish his sentence.

Himegami reached into her uniform and pulled out a collapsible stun baton. She tended to joke that she was a magician and this was her wand. It was dubbed her Magical Stick and she used it for self-defense. This was one such situation. She clicked the switch on the side and the end crackled with electricity as Aogami talked. She brought the baton down and made contact with his head. She didn't hit him that hard and more relied on the electricity to snap him back to his senses.

For a moment, she thought she understood why Fukiyose continued to beat the Delta Force.

There was a certain amount of satisfaction in it.

"…or you can wear the regular armor," Aogami suggested.

"That would be preferable," Himegami agreed. "If that outfit is too revealing, I won't help out."

"No more than a school uniform," Aogami reassured her. "The bikini armor was more for fan service during a beach scene. Our doujin is completely family friendly."

Himegami raised an eyebrow.

"Think about it," Aogami continued. "If a knight is fighting a monster on the beach, they can hardly wear full armor. The sand would get everywhere, and they would never be able to clean it out. Plus if they landed in the water, they would drown. Bikini armor prevents that problem _and_ allows the perfect blend of eroticism and functionality. It has a lot more movability while covering up just enough skin to still leave stuff to the readers' imagination. Doujins that go right to nudity and reveal everything without build up are just trash. Real art requires carefully designed plots, erotic situations to occur naturally. This is why we draw. To bring true art to uncultured swine."

Himegami still didn't say anything as Aogami ranted.

 _So there's more to it than simply being a pervert,_ she mused to herself. This kind of situation was usually reserved for more popular girls, something she would never have done normally. Himegami liked to keep to herself, and the incident involving dressing like a maid for Tsuchimikado normally didn't happen. Maybe she was still a little high on that event and the exhilaration it provided. That would explain why she found the courage to volunteer.

"I still don't think I would be a good fit for the part," Himegami finally said when Aogami paused to take a breath. "But if you think I can do it, I'll help out."

"You're a lifesaver!" he cried in relief and embraced her in a hug. Her face flushed brightly and she was happy he didn't see. "I'll let the others know and text you the details later. You need to arrive like an hour before the event starts to get in and get changed. He rushed toward the door. "Thank you so much, Himegami!" He called over his shoulder before disappearing.

 _I feel like I'm going to regret this,_ she thought and sighed loudly. _What's been coming over me lately? Maybe Seiri will have some suggestions._

It turns out she did.

Most of which involved preparing to beat up Aogami. She had been under the impression he forced Himegami to participate since she refused. It took a few minutes for Himegami to reassure her this was all voluntary to help out a friend and classmate.

* * *

 _This must be the place._

Saturday, Himegami stood outside of a large building with a glass roof and looked around. She had arrived an hour early like Aogami requested, but she wasn't sure where to go.

 _There are so many people. He wasn't kidding. I wonder if I can find-…_

She was interrupted as someone bumped into her and she fell. A gasp involuntarily escaped her lips when she hit the ground. Luckily, she landed on her backside and wasn't hurt, just annoyed. The guy who bumped her didn't even turn around and continued talking to his friend as the two of them carried a couple of boxes. Himegami scowled and stood up, brushing off her skirt. This wasn't an unusual situation and the vast majority of people ignored her or forgot she had even been there. It might not be something to be happy about normally, she was just used to it. Having a few of her classmates continually talking to her was a blessing.

Her lack of presence was one reason she really didn't believe she was suitable for this job.

"There you are!" The familiar voice of Aogami called out to her. "I realized I forgot to tell you where our booth was. I'm really sorry."

"It's fine," she reassured him. A quick check of her skirt was in order to make sure it was clean before he focused her attention on him. "So should we start?"

"Eager already?" Aogami asked with a smirk. "You sure you don't want to wear the bikini armor? We brought it along." Himegami revealed the end of her stun baton and he quickly changed subjects. "So let's have you meet the other two, shall we? Then you can get changed or even look around first. There's a lot to see and I'm sure you would enjoy some of the stalls. You like doujins, right?"

"I've read a few," Himegami replied.

"Well, here we have every kind your imagination could ever believe," Aogami announced as they stepped into the building and he spread his arms wide. "And that's saying something. Because I have a very vivid imagination."

The noise that assaulted her was unexpected. Hundreds of people were moving tables and chairs, shouting at each other, and fighting with neighbors about spacing issues. Himegami wasn't entirely sure what she expected. She had read manga where scenes like this happened, but always believed it to be an exaggeration. A more realistic situation she imagined would be like a book signing, just many more lines. This excitement, the noise, all of it overwhelmed her. She stood there for a moment stunned, aware her quiet voice would never be heard over the hustle and bustle.

"This way," Aogami said, snapping her out of her stupor.

Himegami followed him in silence, aware he was still talking, but was too involved in her surroundings to pay his words much attention. All the booths were set up in rows, though the genres were varied. Some of the people had large cutouts of their characters, signs indicating which group they were part of, and others were little more than tables with piles of books or comics. While the convention was dominated by males, there were still a significant number of females too. Himegami noted at least half a dozen tables manned by girls around her age or maybe a little older. Then there were others dressed in a variety of costumes. One girl was wearing a Chinese style dress with a very prominent slit on the side. Himegami really hoped the outfit they had wasn't that provocative.

It seemed she really should have listened to Fukiyose about Aogami's fetishes.

"Hey, losers!" Aogami greeted as they reached a table manned by two other high school boys. One was unpacking a couple boxes of manga and the other stopped scanning the crowd to focus on them. "This is Himegami Aisa, the one I told you about."

"Hey," the first one greeted and then looked her up and down. "She kind of fits the part of Mila. Did you choose her on purpose?"

"Nah." Aogami brushed off the question with his hand. "She overheard me asking someone else who refused."

"Except for her chest," the second one said, looking up from the boxes. "Nothing a few pads won't fix."

Himegami's face flushed and her lips tightened in irritation.

"Now, now," Aogami interjected. "Small breasts have their own charms. Every size is good in its own ways. It's just you have to learn to accept what can't grow, won't grow."

"Didn't say there was anything wrong with them," he replied. "Just pointing out she's smaller than Mila." He smiled and shook Himegami's hand. "Name's Sakurai. Good to meet you Himegami-san." Ignoring how easy he talked about her breasts, Himegami had to admit he was pretty handsome, with dark brown eyes and hair.

"He's gay," the first guy informed her, even though she didn't ask. "Don't be fooled."

"Shut up, Shiro," Sakurai snapped. "Just because you got rejected by that girl at that Elfen Lied stand…"

"She was totally into me, she was just busy!"

"Sure."

"Ah, don't talk to me about girlfriends," Aogami groaned. "Kami-yan, that guy I told you about? Himegami here asked him out and even went on a date with him."

"That bastard!"

"Dang, another guy taken off the market."

"Don't think he swings that way," Aogami said. "But with Kami-yan disease, who knows." He scooted around the table and picked up a large box with a single manga volume on top of it. "Here's your costume. Should be pretty simple to figure out. There are plenty of adjustment straps. You might also want to read the first volume of our series to know what's going on. I'm sure some people will ask you questions, but you are under no obligation to answer."

"This isn't _that_ outfit, right?" Himegami asked suspiciously. Aogami sweatdropped, while his friends glanced at him.

"You wanted to put her in the bikini armor?" She wasn't even surprised Shiro knew which outfit she meant. "Nice!" The two boys exchanged a high five.

"It's… at the bottom," Aogami said quickly, as Himegami reached for her stun baton. "It was just easier to store them together. Take a look and if you don't want to wear it, wear the original outfit."

"Okay." She took the outfit and started to head toward the changing room, only catching a few snippets of the boy's conversation.

"…soft-spoken. Will she be okay?"

"Tsuchimikado vouched for her."

Himegami's face burned slightly upon hearing that. Every time her adventure in the maid uniform was brought up, she grew embarrassed. It was fun at the time, sure and she might be persuaded to help out again. It was the reason she was here now. No one gave her any unusual glances when she walked by. She was just another face in the crowd working. That was what her normal life was like; a background character, easily forgettable. The thought made her footsteps falter for a moment. She had always thought like that. She had always accepted it because there was no alternative for her. The place of the main heroine was never for her.

 _Do I have to accept that?_

Being a maid had opened up her world to being the center of attention. Himegami wasn't a stage hog in the slightest, but everyone wants to be in the spotlight at some point in their life. She had just been unlucky to be in the background for most of it. That didn't have to continue and she mulled the possibilities as her feet began to move automatically.

 _I did enjoy dressing up as a maid. Maybe I should see how today turns out. Could this be a turning point in my life? Fukiyose always said I should be more assertive. It's easy for her… though her point still stands. You know what. If I'm going to change, I have to want to. I'm going to go all out and try to have fun. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Right? Maybe I can get the courage to demand an answer from Kami-…_

Her thought process went blank when she opened up the box in the changing room.

 _Isn't this a little more revealing than what he promised?_

Pulling it out, it wasn't quite as bad as she first made it out to be. In fact, she was rather surprised at how intricate the design was. The first piece was a black and purple shoulderless top. The inner layers around her chest were lighter purple and slowly grew darker as it reached the black trimming. Based on the length, her stomach would be clearly visible. The sleeves were full length, but had black wraps and tears that were most certainly planned. Matching gloves were the next item she pulled out. The skirt that followed was mostly black with purple trimmings, opposite of the top. Long black stockings that would reach past her knees laid on top of a pair of boots. Both followed the same color scheme.

 _This skirt is barely going to cover anything!_

Taking a deep breath, she began to put it on. Her pep talk from earlier kept her moving forward. When she finished, she took another deep breath and turned toward the mirror.

She blinked.

The girl staring back at Himegami was her, but also not her.

The girl staring back was someone who stood out from the background. The outfit was bold, borderline erotic, yet still had a modicum amount of dignity with a slight punk aura. This was something Himegami would never in a million years dream of wearing. What stood out the most was how her aura seemed to change. Her reflection appeared a lot more confident, even with the apprehensive look on her face. Maybe it was the way she held herself while wearing the outfit, she couldn't be sure.

 _Clothes make the man, I guess. Or woman in this case._

"First time attending one of these events?"

Himegami jumped at the sudden question, being too involved in her own thoughts. Funny enough, she was the one who usually surprised people like that. She spun around and saw an attractive raven-haired girl wearing a white and black gothic dress. The girl was probably around eighteen, so a couple years older than her.

"Y-yes," Himegami stammered for a moment before composing herself. "A classmate of mine needed help, and I volunteered. How did you know?" She tilted her head.

"It's easy to tell the newbies," the girl said with a laugh and placed a hand on her hip. "I'll give you a piece of advice when you're out there." Himegami nodded quickly. "Most of the people know the rules and won't try anything… but a few like to push the line. It's perfectly okay to hit them if they do something. It causes a scene and they will be escorted out. A lot of new girls don't realize that and remain silent."

"Okay," Himegami replied. "Thank you."

"No problem. Good luck and have some fun out there." The girl sauntered off with a small wave and Himegami turned back to the box.

All that remained was a small purple and gold item, which she recognized instantly. It wasn't armor at all, regardless of what Aogami tried to say. It was like a swimsuit, if that. If she wore it, almost everything would be visible. She placed her clothes into the box and then closed it in disgust before she picked up the manga he had given her instead. Looking at the cover, a pretty generic male protagonist with short black hair was surrounded by four other girls. One was a blonde haired elf, one was a brown haired dog girl, the third appeared to be a zombie of some sort with stitches, and the last girl looked human. She had long brown hair in twin tails and wore the purple and black outfit Himegami was wearing.

 _So that's who I'm cosplaying as._ She huffed. _This manga was so obviously drawn by boys._ _Well, I have time. Might as well skim it over._

Aogami and his friends were writing an isekai, which was a popular genre in recent years. It involved the main character going into a parallel world, usually by some kind of accident. The protagonist was a typical high school boy who couldn't get a girlfriend because another classmate attracted all the girls. Himegami raised an eyebrow at this and continued speed reading. The first girl the protagonist met was Kiyumi, who went by the alias Mila to hide her identity. This was the girl Himegami was dressing up as. Apparently, she was a princess who didn't like all the rules her family forced her to follow and rebelled anyway she could. This explained why she liked a darker style of clothes. A dark contrast to the frilly princess outfits.

 _A basic world of swords and magic,_ Himegami thought, as she placed the manga back into the box. _Besides the fanservice scenes, it wasn't too bad._ She glanced at the clock. _I should hurry back before the doors open._ She stood up and was about to leave when an idea hit her. _If I'm going to dress the part, might as well do the hair too._ She pulled out a couple headbands from the bottom of the box and put her hair into twin tails. Her face grew slightly red when she looked in the mirror. Turning away, she quickly left with the box before her nerve faded.

She kept her focus straight ahead toward Aogami's booth. There was a chance people were looking at her and the embarrassment she would feel if she made eye contact would probably cause her to drop the box. Her senses told her people were glancing in her direction, though there was a good chance it was her imagination playing tricks on her.

"Holy crap!" Himegami was greeted by Shiro's reaction when she arrived. "Is that really her?"

"Told you she would fit the part," Aogami replied with a wide grin. "Looking good there. Wear more outfits like that and Kami-yan won't be able to keep his hands off you." Himegami fidgeted at his words. "Shoot, if he's not smart enough to take the bait, I'll go out with a girl like you." Her face burned even brighter.

"Thanks," she muttered and set down the box before tugging her skirt down slightly. "Does this outfit really have to show so much?"

"It's a special balance between revealing and leaving some parts to the imagination," Aogami explained. "We spent weeks perfecting it."

"There was a lot of fighting," the other two guys muttered in the back.

"So what all do I have to do?" Himegami asked Aogami.

"Mostly stand by the table and look sexy," Aogami replied. "Owe! Okay, okay… sorry." Himegami had kicked him in the shins since her baton was in the box. "But that's it really. Stand by our table, wave at people, and maybe make small talk if you feel up for it. We chose the flashiest outfit to draw attention from people who don't know us. If you get tired, grab a chair and sit down. We got some water behind the table, but there are a couple vending machines by the changing room."

Himegami nodded in understanding. The job didn't seem too difficult and she didn't have to serve anyone, which made this job less physically taxing. As long as she didn't get to embarrass and pass out or something, things would be easy.

Boy, was she wrong.

The second the front door opened, people poured into the hall. Some seem to know exactly where they were going, while others began to mill around. Aogami's stand was further in the back, so Himegami had a perfect view of the horde. Her eyes widened in shock and fear as people drew closer. The first person who noticed her pulled out a camera and took a quick picture before moving to other stalls.

 _I really hope no one I know sees this._

After the initial rush calmed down, the crowd began to diffuse across the entire hall. It was obvious some areas contained the popular groups, as lines wrapped around tables and along the walls. There were a few people who seemed to have been looking for Aogami's stand, while most who stopped were drawn in by Himegami and their posters. When people excitedly pointed to her and complimented on how much she looked like Mila, she felt a combination of nervousness, pride, and confusion. It was like she was popular. She lost track of how many people she greeted. A lot of them bought manga, looked at her, and then laughed. Others shook her hand and tried to strike up conversations. A few actually wanted to shake her hands and she obliged.

"Thank you for your support," she said for what felt like the millionth time to a couple guys who had brought a few volumes. The guys waved back, but seemed to avoid eye contact.

"That girl was cute," one of them whispered, though Himegami barely caught their words. She immediately looked away.

"Think she would go out with me?"

"In your dreams." The guys laughed and disappeared into the crowd.

"Doing well," Aogami congratulated her, standing next to her while leaning on the table. "Do you want a break?"

"No, I'm good. How much longer is this event?"

"Less than two hours. We pack up at noon so the afternoon group can have their chance. Only a few groups were given both slots. Our manga isn't known well enough yet."

"I read the first volume and it's interesting," Himegami admitted. "I'm sure it will do well."

"I'll make sure you get a free copy," Aogami replied with a grin. "And thanks again for helping us out. If you ever need something from me, just name it. We could even go out if you think it will make Kami-yan jealous."

"I'm good for now."

Himegami tried to let him down gently, but he visibly deflated and stumbled back behind the table. Feeling a little bad, she turned to the crowd and waved at anyone who looked in her direction. Many ignored her, which she expected. Others made small signs of acknowledgments while a few stopped and checked out the wares. The vast majority of the visitors were male, though there were some females. A couple of them gave her sympathetic looks when she was surrounded by a couple guys trying to talk to her. The day continued and the crowd was beginning to thin out when someone unexpected snuck up on her.

"Excuse me, MISAKA asks hesitantly as MISAKA clutches her book in anticipation." Himegami looked down to see a small girl with short brown hair and an ahoge. The girl was wearing a blue dress with white spots. Clutched in her hands was the newest volume of Aogami's work.

"Yes?" Himegami asked.

"Can MISAKA take a picture with you, MISAKA asks hesitantly."

"Do you have a camera?" Himegami asked. There was no way she was going to refuse a little girl such an innocent request.

"MISAKA's guardian does, MISAKA stated as MISAKA turns around and gestured frantically." From the crowd, a boy around Himegami's age stepped out. He was rather skinny with had pale skin, moppy white hair, and red eyes. His clothes consisted of a white shirt with black V shapes and black pants. The most unusual thing was that he was supporting himself on a single crutch. There was probably a story behind his injury. His expression was full of irritation, but the girl continued to motion for him to get closer.

"What is it now, brat?" he asked. "You got your book already."

"Take a picture, MISAKA says eagerly as MISAKA jumps up and down excitedly. MISAKA wants a commemorative photo with Mila!"

"It's not…" His annoyance trailed off at the girl's hopefully expression and he pulled out a picture. "Fine, hurry up and get it over with."

"Yay!" The girl scooted over next to Himegami and crouched down so they were a little more level. The boy took the picture and the girl rushed over to his side to take a look. "Thank you for the picture! MISAKA calls back gratefully." She started skipping into the crowd with the boy following her, grumbling the entire time.

 _That girl had an unusual way of talking,_ Himegami thought to herself. It wasn't a rude thought, just an observation. The girl was quite nice and polite. Many of the guys didn't ask for permission to get a picture taken. A large group walked by and Himegami tried to draw their attention, but was ignored. _This feels familiar,_ she thought disgruntledly. _Oh well. I can't-…_

Smack!

Himegami jumped as she felt a hand slap her butt.

The jump was more instinctive than anything else. At no point did she expect that to happen. She spun around on the spot and reached under her clothes for her baton, only to grasp air.

 _That's right, it's packed away._ Her eyes narrowed as she saw a boy a year or so younger than her trying to slip away into the crowd. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Instead, someone else acted.

"What the hell are you doing, you bastard!"

Out of nowhere Aogami dashed passed her and tackled the boy.

"Get off me!" The boy yelled. "You crazy asshole!"

"You just assaulted her," Aogami growled as the crowd began to back up, murmuring around.

"I didn't do nuffin'. Get off!"

"Bullshit!" Aogami responded. "A dozen people saw you." Himegami saw several other boys around the same age disappear. From her experience, they probably dared this boy to do it. What did annoy her was other people saw him do it and didn't try to help her. Her eyes darted to Aogami, the only one who acted on her distress. Security descended upon the area less than a minute later. Himegami was impressed at their response time, even if it was because sexual harassment lawsuits could destroy this convention if left unresolved. They escorted him out of the building and it was only thanks to Himegami asking them not too, that Anti-Skill wasn't called.

"You should have let them take him," Aogami pointed out. "I can appreciate an attractive girl willing to cosplay, but they are to be protected and watched from afar, not touched like that."

"I think his friends pushed him into it," Himegami pointed out, trying to ignore his compliment. "I wasn't hurt, just surprised." Now that the event was over, she realized something important.

Girls who stand out attract guys like that.

Being a background character most of her life, guys didn't try to cop a feel. Now that she was acting like the center of attention, guys were bound to notice her. It was an unintended consequence of her actions she did not expect.

"But he went too far," Aogami mumbled angrily. "He's the kind of person who gives us normal perverts a bad name. I love all types of women. From the commonly accepted tsunderes, cat girls, sisters, senpais, and kouhais to the more exotic girls who cross-dress as guys, robot girls, fairies, priestess, and even ghost girls. Any female is within my area of acceptance because every one of them has their good points!"

Himegami stepped back a little.

"Anyway," Aogami continued, regaining his composure. "I wouldn't blame you if you want to quit early. You helped us so much already."

"…No," Himegami said after a moment. "I promised to help you and I can keep going. Besides, if I stopped now, it would be like I'm losing to those types of guys, right?" _This is also part of my growth as a person plan._

A large grin formed on Aogami's face.

"You really are a great girl," he said and gave her a pat on the back. "If you ever outgrow Kami-yan, give me a call!" He winked at her and went back to the table, ignorant of her scarlet face.

 _He doesn't really mean it like that. He's just being nice and outgoing._

The rest of the morning finished without issue and when everyone started leaving, Himegami sat down on a chair, eager to get off her feet. Aogami offered her a bottle of water, which she accepted gratefully.

"Today went well," he commented. "Mostly thanks to you. You really pulled that outfit off."

"Thanks," Himegami mumbled softly. "I still can't wait to change back to my normal clothes. These are uncomfortable."

"Not sure why you wear normal clothes," Aogami said with a laugh. "I think a priestess outfit would suit you so much better.

 _If you only knew,_ she thought amused.

"I'm going to help the guys pack up," Aogami continued. He stood up and stretched. "You deserve a break and we have plenty of time before they kick us out." Himegami gave a small smile and nodded before he left to help pack up the manga that didn't sell and move posters.

"Have fun?"

Himegami turned to see the girl in the gothic dress she had spoken to in the changing room.

"Ah… umm… it was kind of fun," Himegami finally muttered. "There was only one incident, but everyone else was pretty nice."

"Yeah, there are always a few bad apples," the girl admitted and then grinned. "I checked up on you a couple times, but you were doing so well, I didn't want to intrude and make you self-conscious."

"Really?" Himegami asked. "Why?"

"I like to make sure fresh blood enjoy themselves and come back," she explained. "This industry always needs more models. Cute girls are in high demand you know." Himegami didn't think that applied to her. It had to be because the outfit she had was rather revealing. "I think you have talent too. It was obvious you were new and nervous, but you were trying. _That_ is the most important part of attracting people. Confidence."

"I think I kind of see that," Himegami admitted. "I'm used to kind of staying in the background. Not being out in front like this." She gestured to her outfit.

"That's a shame," the girl replied. "You got a nice bod. Should show it off more." Himegami diverted her eyes at this and the girl laughed. "Well, I just wanted to say hi and congratulate you on surviving. I hope to see you again sometime."

"It was nice seeing you again," Himegami said and gave a small wave. As soon as the girl disappeared, Aogami appeared right next to her and his face was awfully close to hers.

"When did you become friends with the Empress?!" Aogami asked in shock.

"The…who?" Himegami was lost.

"That girl you were talking to," Aogami explained in a rush. "She's a legend. There's no one she can't dress up as. Her alias is Empress and no one knows her real name. People online aren't even sure if she's really a girl. She's just that good. Yet there you were, talking to her like an old friend."

"She gave me some advice when I was changing," Himegami told him. "I didn't even ask her for her name."

"You got to introduce me to her!" Aogami pleaded. He fell to his knees and grabbed her leg. "I'll do anything you ask. _Anything!_ She tried to shake him off, but he refused to budge.

"I don't have any of her information," Himegami sighed, realizing her attempts at escape were futile and moved a hand slowly toward the box with her clothes. "Why not ask her yourself?"

"Because she's…her!" He acted like that explained everything. "People try to talk with her all the time and she only chats with a select few. If someone like me tried, she would probably look at me like I'm a pig." He paused for a moment. "Actually, that might not be a bad idea. I always wanted to find a sadist girl to teach me a thing or two."

Himegami sighed and grabbed her stun baton.

The crackle of electricity was heard for a moment, followed by smoke coming from Aogami's body.

 _He's not really a bad person,_ Himegami thought to herself, as she picked up the box and headed toward the changing room. _Just a little… overzealous in his interests. He did save me. If this was a galge game, I would have fallen head over heels for him._ Her cheeks pinked slightly. _He was cool, even if he lost it a few moments later. I should tell Fukiyose about it. Maybe she can see his good points too._

* * *

Darkbetrayer: Here's my chapter. Unlike the other guys before me, I do it at a reasonable time.

botman: Indeed you did. But you still haven't updated RD yet you fucker.

Dragonrails: God I'm next right!? Ok, ok I got this maybe… *flips table* …and processes to run away

xMikaelx: ...Wait, we're a monthly now?! When did that happen?...Oh. O_O

I can't believe it really had been a month since we updated. Then again, all of us in the Kamachiland Brigade have a life too... That or I'm getting too old for my age to notice the passage of time.

For this chapter, we got Himegami going to Comiket with Aogami! Fun! Our girl is getting more presence the more the story goes on! First on school with her friends and classmates, then on another school but in their cafeteria (or something, can't really tell sometimes if Tokiwadai wants to be a learning institute or a restaurant). Now she stepped on a bigger stage and people can see her charm now! At least we do. Now that she knows how to feel popular, will our girl become more assertive? Only the other authors can tell that in the coming updates! See you guys on the next release!

P.S. Good luck on the next chapter, Dragonrails!

Darkbetrayer: I feel Mikael is trying to be the main character too.

Soulcage: Tune in next month on How to Dress Up a Shrine Maiden!


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